How do you handle fencing with stream?

bkreugar · Aug 22, 2011

I am at dead end with Dh on how to fence a part of our land. Everything I come up with Dh shoots down and tells me when stream is swollen from heavy rain Whatever I suggest , will be torn down by the rushing water and debris.

We have 7 acres with multiple turnouts. Front turnout is DONE with post and board on front and 5 strand of spur poly covered high tensil on back. WITH a top and bottom electric line. NO issues here it is about 3/4 of an acre. No grass with a downward slant. We put 2 round bales in it and the 3 horses eat the 2 roundbales in about 12/14 days. Obviously not enough room and no grass. 2 years ago we finished right down to the big cattle gates front and back. totally done.

In the back. we have the front of the back done with the wooden posts as in the front pasture. 3 strands of electrifies high tensil no issues there. But the back of my 2 back pastures backs up to a small mountain and stream. In years past with different horses I had one in each of the pastures with NOOO issues ever.

We are finishing up the back pasture, going from the easy t posts to the more substantial wood posts and spur poly covered high tensil fencing. We feel we can do this now that we have FINALLY conquered our deer issue.

We have stopped ALL fencing about 5 ft from stream as it is in a ravine and when we have summer storms it rages and becomes swollen with runoff. Occasionally it has jumped the ravine and flooded the back pasture. On the OTHER side of the stream we own about 2.5 acres that is a hilly rocky slope. Dh SAYS he isn't saying forget ot but he can't come up with ANY way to solve the stream "issue". He is not prone to quick decisions. It took us roughly 4 years to figure out how to handle a section of the front that was so rocky we could only dig down about 8". Finally mastered that by making cement boxes above ground for the posts.

SO HOW does one handle this? TIA , we've been here 8 years and while I don't think we will ever be "done" I'd like to claim the other 2 acres. Currently they are just sitting there.

Rusty Hills Farm · Aug 22, 2011

When we were in Colorado, the place was already fenced by the ranch next door (if 10,000 acres can be called "next door"). There was a seasonal stream, ie dry all summer and fall, snow-filled all winter, and a rushing torrent in the spring. There were 5 strands of barbed wire across the top, but down in the ravine there were 5 boards attached to about 4 upright boards and the whole thing attached to strands of wire that hung down from the main fence. It looked kinda like a v-shaped gate hanging down from the fence and filling in the ravine. It floated up when there was water in the ravine and the rest of the time it just hung straight down. The cows stayed on their own side and never challenged it even though that ravine was about 5 feet deep and they could have easily walked under the main fence during the dry seasons if the gate wasn't there. They could have pushed under the gate, as it was only attached at the top, but for some reason they never did.

I do know our horses never challenged it either!

HTH

Rusty

welsummerchicks · Aug 22, 2011

There are many different options for wet areas. That 'floating' barrier is very common and works well for certain areas.

Some people use concrete fence posts and set them during dry weather or 'bag' them. Plastic vynil band fence works well in wet areas and can be immersed for long periods of time. I've seen that, I've seen barb wire for cattle, often with an electrified wire at nose height.

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