Water troughs are necessary to keep water available to the cattle roaming the hillsides of Grieb Ranch. Materials and construction of these necessary items have taken different shapes and forms over the years the Grieb family have managed cattle on Grieb Ranch.

Redwood Water Troughs

Fred and George Grieb, the original ranching brothers, put in redwood troughs to the catch natural spring water throughout the ranch. As the wood in these troughs aged, the insides were lined with metal. One of these original troughs is now in the Connie’s front yard being used as a planter.

Metal Water Troughs

Metal water troughs made of surplus tanks from the oil fields were the next type of material to be used. A few of these are still in use today. However, as the metal rots out Mr. P plugs the holes with his modeling clay. This usually holds the water until we can replace the trough with a cement trough.

Cement Water Troughs

We now have five cement water troughs providing water to the Grieb Ranch cattle and horse herds, in addition to the wildlife who share the territory. We keep goldfish in the troughs to take care of algae growth and insect larvae. So when we change out a metal tank to a cement one, we have to transfer the goldfish too!