Water is an essential element for all civilizations. Fountains are special structures where water is flowed due to the importance given to water. In order to prevent the splashing and flowing of the water flowing from the fountains to the environment, the structures with reservoirs built under the faucet or fountain are called water troughs. These structures, which were created for cattle to drink water, especially in rural areas, have become important structures alone due to the increase in livestock activities. Over time, their aesthetic appearance has fallen into the background and their functional aspects have come to the fore. While water troughs were made of stone and wood in ancient times, they were later made with different artificial materials. It was made in many stages with metal, concrete and plastic materials, which are easy and cheap to make. Especially in the natural area, the troughs made with these materials seem incompatible with nature. In the study, water troughs in the World, Turkey, and especially Erzurum province were examined. As a result of this examination, it has been determined in recent years that water troughs are made of artificial materials that are far from aesthetics. In addition, water troughs are divided into categories according to material type, number of stages, aesthetic features and shapes, and some recommendations are made for the protection and development of these structures.