Protecting our waterways with sustainable practices

By Alan Cole






In arid lands the careful use of water is as much a part of organic growing as is any other method. As with other resources, organic farmers are urged to attempt to use water which is available locally, avoiding using water quicker than it is replaced naturally. This is a necessary practice and one that has to be adopted on a bigger scale.

There are several ways to use water meticulously, including the utilization of terracing, rain water basins or catchments and careful irrigation. Also, the addition of organic matter to the soil to improve its capability to hold water and the use of mulches to hold water in the soil by stopping the soil surface from drying out or becoming too hot.

In an organic system, the well-being of the animals is considered very important too. Animals should not be kept in enclosed spaces where they cannot carry out their natural behavior like standing and moving around in an insufficient quantity of space. Nonetheless care must be taken that animals don't damage crops. Food for animals should be grown organically. Breeds should be chosen to suit local needs and local conditions and resources These contributors help to be sure that stock are far more healthy, better prepared to withstand illnesses and to provide good yields for the farmer.

However concern for our waterways does not just lie with the conservation of water, we also have a responsibility to keep our waterways clean and plenty of our larger firms have to be encouraged to develop supportable practices to assist in protecting the environment. There are lots of environmentally aware corporations now offering services and products to assist industry to achieve a rather more sustainable way of dealing with water.

The treating of water runoff is another potentially big issue that's fortunately being addressed. The concern with water runoff is the damage it can do to out natural waterways once entering the stormwater network. Industries that depend on water usage for instance vehicle and truck wash companies now have a need to go along with set laws or face expensive financial penalties.




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