When the Creeks Run Dry: Keeping Our Grass-Fed Cattle Watered on the Ranch

At Cunningham Pastured Meats, raising grass-fed beef means working closely with the land and adapting to whatever conditions each season brings. Most years, the creeks that run through our ranch provide a natural source of water for our cattle. But this year has been different.

We've had an unusually dry year, and our creeks are nearly dry. Most of the water is gone, and what remains has become very stagnant. Conditions like these only come around about once every 10 years, but when they do, we have to work a little harder to make sure our cattle have access to fresh water.

Here's a look at how we're adapting to this year's dry conditions and keeping our cattle watered.

How Do We Provide Water for Our Cattle?

Water is essential to raising healthy cattle, especially cattle grazing on pasture throughout the year. When our natural water sources aren't sufficient, we rely on our ranch's water infrastructure to get water where it's needed.

We use two main methods to provide water for our cattle.

1. An Underground Waterline Throughout the Ranch

One of the most useful features of our ranch is an underground waterline that runs through the middle of the property.

Along this waterline, we have risers located throughout the pastures. These connections allow us to hook up water tanks in different locations and provide water to cattle grazing in those areas.

Having this system in place gives us flexibility. Instead of relying entirely on the creeks, we can use our waterline and strategically placed tanks to help meet the needs of our cattle when natural water sources are limited.

2. Building Additional Water Tanks

Sometimes, our existing infrastructure isn't enough. When that happens, we have to expand our options.

This year, we've built two new water tanks to increase our capacity to water cattle across the ranch. Building these tanks takes time and work, but it gives us additional places to supply water when the creeks aren't flowing as they normally would.

We've shared a video on Facebook showing us finishing one of these new water tanks. It's a small glimpse into the practical, hands-on work that goes into managing a cattle ranch.

Ranching Means Adapting to Nature

One of the realities of ranching is that we can't control the weather. Some years bring plenty of moisture and abundant grass. Other years bring drought, dry pastures, and challenges we might not face for a decade.

We plan ahead, maintain our infrastructure, and make adjustments when conditions change. This year, that has meant building additional water tanks and relying more heavily on our waterline system.

It's not always the most visible part of raising beef, but providing water is an essential part of caring for our cattle and managing our land responsibly.

Raising Grass-Fed Beef With Care

At Cunningham Pastured Meats, our family has been raising cattle for generations. We believe good beef begins long before it reaches your table. It starts with the daily work of caring for animals, managing pastures, and making thoughtful decisions about how we raise our livestock.

Our beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, with no grain, genetically modified feed, added hormones, or antibiotics. We raise our cattle with an emphasis on pasture-based management and responsible stewardship of the land.

Sharing these behind-the-scenes moments is one way we can show you what goes into producing the food you feed your family.

Thank you for supporting our family ranch and following along as we work through another season. We appreciate being able to share not just our beef, but the people, land, and hard work behind it.

Want to bring our grass-fed beef to your table?

Explore our selection of 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef from Cunningham Pastured Meats.