Water pollution related to California's $5.25 billion livestock and poultry industries will require site-specific remedies as diverse as the various ranching operations themselves, according to a yearlong study by a team of UC Davis researchers. "Water pollution is one of the most critical problems the California animal agriculture industries will face over the next five to 10 years," says Harold Carter, director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center which, along with the UC Davis Animal Agriculture Research Center, coordinated the study. The pollution problems range from increased sedimentation of foothill streams due to livestock grazing, to nitrate pollution of valley ground water. They will require solutions developed with an eye to the overall health of the local watershed and to specific soil and climate conditions. "For example, the study pointed out that one ranching operation may have a problem with nitrate pollution, while the ranch just across the road may not have a problem at all," says Eric Bradford, director of the Animal Agriculture Research Center. Proceedings from the study, reported recently in Sacramento, will be published by the end of January.