FAQ- Cows in the River

Question: What should people do when they see cows in a river or creek?

ONTARIO: In Ontario there are no specific regulations against cattle presence in water. The Ontario Water Resources Act has certain general regulations against contaminants being released into water which can be used by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to pressure cattle owners to restrict access to a stream or river. Generally MOE will act on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the situation. For example, if a large number of cattle are regularly accessing a small body of water they may request that the owner fence off the cattle from the water.

Action: You should contact your local Ministry of the Environment office to report the situation.

In the Ottawa region, you can contact:

Christian Grothe
Agricultural Environmental Officer
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
2430 Don Reid Drive, Ottawa ON K1N 1E1
Tel: 613 521 3450 ext. 247
Toll free: 1 800 860 2195 ext. 247
Fax: 613 521 5437
E-mail christian.grothe@ontario.ca

QUEBEC: In Quebec there are very specific regulations prohibiting cattle from accessing rivers and their banks. These have been in place since April 2005. The Environment Ministry of Quebec is responsible for enforcing the regulations, so your local office should be contacted for any case involving cattle in water.

Action: Contact your local Environment Ministry of Quebec office

In the Gatineau region, you can contact:

Outaouais-Gatineau
98, rue Lois
Gatineau (Québec) J8Y 3R7
Téléphone : 819 772-3434
Télécopieur : 819 772-3952
Courriel : outaouais@mddep.gouv.qc.ca

The Department of Agricultural Services in Gatineau is also a great contact. You can find more details regarding exclusions (moving the herd from one side to the other) and grants (which can cover up to 70% of the cost for installing fencing around the water) from:

Marc F Clement, Agronomist
Large Scale Farming and Agroenvironmental Consultant
MAPAQ, Outaouais Sector
819-986-8544 ext 225