In response to years of drought, Southern California conservationists plan to install water stations in inland desert regions that are home to bighorn sheep.
The Southern California News Group reported Wednesday that the nonprofit Bighorn Sheep Conservation Society will install up to 90 stations throughout the Mojave Desert, the Chuckwalla Valley area and elsewhere. The proposal was approved last week by the California State Land Commission.
The move comes as desert watering holes have dried up and less vegetation is growing because of the drought, said James Cornett, an ecologist who has taught a course on bighorn sheep at the University of California, Riverside.
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Desert bighorn sheep eat and rest at the Condor Ridge exhibit at the San Diego Wild Animal Park on May 25, 2000.
(AP Photo/Bob Grieser, File)
With fewer places to find water, herds may find their movement limited and that can lead to inbreeding and additional problems for the population, Cornett said.
“When we put up artificial troughs, we’re playing God, of course,” Cornett said. “But because the populations are so small, anything we can do to help that doesn’t cause secondary problems is a good thing.”
The plan is to install rain catchers with underground storage tanks and a drinker box near the top of the tank that the sheep can safely access. Each station requires up to $40,000 to install and must also be maintained.
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The Society obtained a 10-year lease to install the stations. State Land Commission staff said the project is in the interest of California because of the drought.
Earlier this year, a popular hiking trail in Joshua Tree National Park was temporarily closed so bighorn sheep could access a key water source amid extreme drought. An estimated 100 to 200 desert maroons live in the park, among a population of about 13,000 in parts of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, according to the park’s website.
