# Creek Fence



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Very witty. From Successful Farmer....a $2500 winner.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agriculture.com/content/creek-fence-keeps-cows-in-lets-floodwaters-out


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Well dang it! I could've had myself $2,500. Instead of PVC, I use old plastic 55 gallon barrels from the bakery in town. As the water recedes lower, I just let the come along down a bit till the barrels are back in the water a bit.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Here, cows in the creek are a big no-no.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Hear they drilled wells put in self waters and payed people to keep them out and payed for fences people never put up and now you still see peoples cows in the river.you would think the usda would check to see if they were getting what they payed for


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

We are grandfathered in as our pasture has been pasture for ever. In fact, about 30 acres is virgin ground. My reasoning is if deer can defacate in the creek, so can my cows. When the DNR fences the deer out, I'll fence the cows out.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

We just use water gates here. The county will put them in for free in the road fences and don't charge but a couple hundred to put ones in for cross fences.

They use a track hoe to "pile drive" in some big light-pole type creosote posts, big like 12 inch posts, deep into the creek or, in our case, drainage canal banks running through the farm, about halfway up the bank. Then they hang a piece of 4 inch steel pipe across between the two, mounted to the poles with some big "U" type strap irons and lag bolts. Then they drill and bolt creosote boards (like unmilled 2x4's) to the pipe about every 10 inches or so, cut so they are about a foot off the bottom of the creek (or above the standing water if there's running water or standing water) Then they put another board across the bottom about a foot up from the bottom all the way across, and screw or nail all the boards to the cross-board, which is BEHIND the two upright poles.

When we get a rain and the creek rises, it simply flows between the boards. If we get a flood and the creek is full, the water pushes the boards up behind the water gate, as the pipe allows the boards to float "straight back" from the two upright posts with the water flowing under/over it unimpeded... if we get a REALLY bad flood and the pivot pipe is underwater, the whole thing floats with the boards almost straight up, but most creeks don't get that bad. If it's an extra-wide drainage canal or creek, they put in multiple 10-15 foot spans with the pipes slightly overlapping each other.

They last for decades, the cattle don't get out, they don't wash away, and no electricity. They usually run barb wire up from the piling posts to an H-brace up top and put a gap in there for the mower tractors to drive through-- you build your fence and tie off to their H-brace.

Works for us. Never really understood all these weird "flood gate" stuff and people building barb-wire fences across creeks and having them wash away constantly.

Later! OL J R


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

We have a small "gully" (as we call it), runs thru our property. When I was growing up there were always a couple holes that kept water in 'em year round, but now it only runs after a rain or when they are watering orange groves up-stream of me. 3 cross fences cross it, & the simplest & so far I believe the best crossing I put in about a year ago. It's only about 50 feet between the end post, much longer & I'd probably have to use bigger post. They are regular 3" post put in as deep as I could dig the hole with regular hand diggers. Used I think 3/8 cable, drilled a hole ~2" from the end of pieces of 1-1/4" thickwalled PVC with ~6 or 8" of poly between them for spacers strung on the cable. So far the cattle don't bother to push under them, but if a calf or odd cow does cross they are still on my property so no biggie.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> We are grandfathered in as our pasture has been pasture for ever. In fact, about 30 acres is virgin ground. My reasoning is if deer can defacate in the creek, so can my cows. When the DNR fences the deer out, I'll fence the cows out.


Mn DNR tried to get all creeks fenced off about 15 yrs ago.No ifs ands or buts that it was a vigin pasture.The Mn cattlemans,Farm Beurueu etc got it squelched.But then to get the cows out of the creek they raised the CRP rates for pasture higher then any cattleman could pay for rent.So what happens is either the farmer says the heck with it I can put pasture in CRP without the headaches of raising cows.Or when he retires and sells the cows instead of renting out the pasture he can make more putting it in CRP.

Neighbor was here yesterday put 5 acres in CRP along drainage ditch.$275 per acre.Wasn't pasture but hard to get to on there side of the ditch.

I'm probably going to put some filter strips in along some creeks and get pd for it threw CRP before they force not farming it at all and not get pd anything.
DNR,Pheasents Forever,Governor Dayton want wildlife habitat and are all in cahoots to get it done.They would sooner have 20 Pheasents as 20 cows.


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## valleyfarmsupply (Mar 14, 2015)

Try this.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

valleyfarmsupply said:


> img_0269.jpg
> 
> Try this.


Looks like that would work, but I can imagine it would cost a little more than the PVC.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

urednecku said:


> Looks like that would work, but I can imagine it would cost a little more than the PVC.


And a tad bit on the heavy side......have to be Hercules to put it up, most specially if it comes down. Hope it's anchored to some mighty fine posts......


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> And a tad bit on the heavy side......have to be Hercules to put it up, most specially if it comes down. Hope it's anchored to some mighty fine posts......


I'm sure they sale some of those fine posts.


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