Access of livestock, such as cattle, to waterways has been shown to be a cause of poor water quality due to pugging damage and excretion entering the water. In New Zealand, regulations require that cattle, deer, and pigs are excluded from accessing waterways, but there are no such requirements for sheep. The current study utilised 24 h video cameras, global positioning system units, and triaxial accelerometers to observe the interaction of Romney ewes (n = 40) with a natural waterway. Ewes were either restricted (week 1) or given access to a reticulated water trough (week 2). Proximity data showed that ewes spent more time within 3 m of the waterway when the trough was unrestricted than when restricted (14.1 ± 5.7 and 10.8 ± 5.1 min/ewe/day, respectively; p < 0.05). Ewes travelled shorter distances on the steeper areas of paddock than flatter areas. Similarly, ewes showed a spatial preference for the flat and low sloped areas of the paddock. Concentrations of suspended sediment and total phosphorus were higher during access to a reticulated water trough which coincided with the week with more rainy days. Phosphorus and E. coli concentrations in the stream water samples were the above recommended Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council water quality guidelines, especially after rainy days, but did not appear to be directly related to sheep activity. Overall, the results suggest that during winter, ewes interacted very little with the waterway and were thus unlikely to influence the levels of nutrient and pathogens in the waterway.

The behaviour of ewes within the vicinity of a natural stream and the impact on stream water quality in New Zealand hill country in summer has not been studied previously. Adult ewes (n = 40) were managed in a 1.7 ha paddock. Ewes were given access to a reticulated water trough for one week, then the trough was covered in the second week, resulting in the stream being the only source of free water available to the ewes. Ewe behaviour was monitored by video surveillance, GPS and Accelerometers. Ewes spent more time grazing and drinking within the stream zone (3 m buffer around the stream) during the restricted vs. unrestricted period (p < 0.05). Restricting water trough access had little impact on nutrient concentrations, except for ammonium-N, which increased (p < 0.05). Increased stream loads of E. coli, ammonium-N, and TP in the outflow from the paddock were evident. The spatial distribution of ewes was influenced by the slope and location of the trough and stream crossings. Ewes were least observed near the stream at night, with the highest activity in daylight. Ewes travelled greater distances as the slope increased, except at very steep slopes. While water trough access had no effect on the time ewes spent within the stream zone, there was a high density of ewe location fixes near the trough that was not seen when access was restricted. The water quality results suggest that the presence of sheep in the paddock had some impact on ammonium-N and E. coli.