One challenge we have faced while fencing off our stream from stock has been supplying them with drinking water on the far side. (This is part of our wetland restoration and stream protection project: https://ecothriftylife.com/2017/02/01/world-wetlands-day/  )

Here are three ladies shading themselves near the stream on the valley floor.

After fencing the entire stream we put in a Taranaki Gate to get stock across a few times each year. Obviously they are not drinking from the stream anymore, so we needed to figure out a way to keep them watered. One option was running the farm’s bore water to them, but that would have taken a bit of time and money.

The far side of Purua Stream has a large number of springs, so I decided to do a little experiment.

I located a spot just below the spring source and dug a small hole.

I cut a six metre section of plastic pipe and placed one end in the hole. I drilled holes on the sides and top of the pipe and raised it off the bottom with twine and a broken fence post. These steps will help prevent soil getting in the pipe and clogging it.

The pipe runs downhill to a second hand bath.

Knowing how mischievous cows are, I used warratahs to hold the pipe in place and then the interns covered it with gorse branches that they were cutting nearby. The tub filled overnight and has worked brilliantly since.

This is what the spring-fed trough looks like from across the stream with the pipe covered with thorny gorse branches.

This is what it looks like from higher up the valley. This photo shows the cows near the trough.

This simple and elegant system is a great example of what permaculture design thinking is all about.

Peace, Estwing