An $800 floating fence seems to have settled a long-time dispute between farmers and paddlers in agricultural Manitoba.

Tensions have simmered for decades between the two groups when it comes to the narrow streams and rivers that criss-cross fields and pastures.

During the dry season — mainly, the fall — cattle farmers string up barbed wire to prevent their cows from escaping in the low waters.

The fences, which are strung across some popular canoe routes, are then cut by canoeists who prefer to not have jagged wires leave gashes on their person or boat.

"The canoeists often carry [scissors] in their canoes in case they come across any fences to snip them because they can be quite lethal," said Jodi Goerzen, district manager for the Seine-Rat River Conservation District.

"If they don't snip their way through there's been some cases where they actually can caught up in it, with their neck, and it can get quite gruesome with barbed wire when you don't see it."

A farmer asked the conservation district to come up with a way to keep cows in their place and allow paddlers to pass without incident.

"Our project supervisor Chris Randall basically was searching the web and he found this model in Montana," she said. "Lo and behold it worked."

The model is a thick wire hung from two fence posts on opposing sides of the river. Hanging along the wire are PCV pipes that brush against the surface of the water.

"The cattle won't cross it because it's a visible barrier so they don't know it's just a floating fence and the canoers can just canoe right on through it," said Goerzen.

"It's been described as a [looking] like giant wind chime or a giant curtain."

Goerzen said she hopes the plastic curtains help settle the long-standing "unspoken disagreement."

"It works really well for both sides," she said.

The total cost for materials was $800, while the Seine-Rat River Conservation District and farmer provided free labour to install the floating fence.

Goerzen said other landowners have called her office to ask to sign up for fences.

"For such a small project it's really gained a lot of support and we've got a lot of landowners on the list that want one put in on their creek as well."

The floating fences will be removed before temperatures freeze to clear the way for snowmobilers, she added.