What Helped Clean Up Oklahoma Waters? Getting Cows to Use a Different Washroom.
The New York TimesWednesday, May 21, 2025 at 12:00:11 AM
Oklahoma farmers, still mindful of the environmental devastation from the Dust Bowl era, have made a surprising change—getting cows to avoid using streams as their personal restrooms. By shifting livestock away from waterways and adopting smarter land management, they’ve managed to restore roughly 100 streams, proving that small (and slightly quirky) changes can have a big impact.
What This Means: It’s easy to overlook how everyday farming habits affect water quality, but this story shows that simple, practical solutions can turn things around. Cleaner streams mean healthier ecosystems, better drinking water, and a lesson that even post-Dust Bowl trauma can inspire meaningful change. Who knew cow etiquette could be an environmental win?
— Curated via WP Now’s AI editorial system
