Water quality, riparian vegetation, and bank stability were measured in pastures that were ungrazed, season-long grazed pastures, and pastures grazed early or late in the year. Bank stability and biomass of riparian and instream vegetation was greater in pastures that were not grazed than in all other pastures, and there were no differences among pastures grazed at different times during the season. Water quality did not appear to be affected by exclusion of grazing or grazing season, however, algal biomass, which is sometimes related to instream nutrient levels, tended to be lower in pastures that were grazed season long. The authors suggest that grazing management could enhance riparian function and vegetation in these pastures and that installing alternate water sources and implementing rest-rotation grazing would be good options to stimulate the recovery of these riparian areas.
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