The big thing here is that it is all voluntary. We provide information for them. They decide what projects to do. Many farmers have concentrated on restoring salmon to their streams. In this regard, many have replaced culverts that allow fish passage, built fences and off-stream watering areas to reduce livestock impacts in the riparian area, and also planted trees in the riparian area.
Riparian areas are narrow strips of land that border creeks, rivers or other bodies of water.
Although they occupy only a small percentage of a watershed, they are important because they cool water temperatures and aid in sediment filtering, bank stabilization and water storage and release. A healthy, functioning riparian area also aids fish and wildlife habitat. For Godwin, as well as other specialists trying to improve the quality of Oregon's water, Best Management Practices are most effective if prepared carefully and applied in a calm, non-dictatorial way. Just because a BMP has been written and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality says you follow it doesn't mean the pollution problem will be solved. It is a practice aimed to solve a problem.