Blakes Lambing Ground Bighorn Sheep Guzzler Repair
Project ID: 5886
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2022
Submitted By: 523
Project Manager: Curtis Roundy
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Southern Region
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Southern
Description:
On our routine guzzler maintenance inspections we found that this guzzler was not getting water to the drinker. On further inspection we found that the amount of water in the tanks was not consistent with the amounts that we would have expected to be there. With this information we decided that there must be a leak in either the drinker line or one of the tanks and it would need to be repaired if this guzzler was going to stay operating. We decided to contract the work and find and fix the leak
Location:
This guzzler is located on the south end of the Beaver Dam Mountain Range overlooking the Gorge directly above Cedar Pockets.
Project Need
Need For Project:
This guzzler is in a location where it gets frequent use by Desert Bighorn Sheep and is close enough to the Arizona border that we feel like it helps keep more sheep in Utah. Due to it not working as it should and the need and benefit of the guzzler and it's location we felt like it was worth the time and effort to go down and make the needed repairs to get it working again.
Objectives:
Find out where the leak is that is draining the water out of the tanks. Fix the leak. Re plumb the drinker box, and the float system. Water Bighorn Sheep for many more years.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
If this guzzler doesn't get repairs made it will no longer operate as a water source. This will then send sheep across the state line much faster and we will have sheep that would have normally spent time in Utah living in Arizona.
Relation To Management Plan:
This work falls within the goals set forth in the Utah Bighorn Sheep Statewide Management Plan. Specifically it states in the Pine Valley (Beaver Dam) Unit Management Plan that one of the Habitat Objectives is to improve habitat and water availability where possible. This work is doing exactly that.
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
This project will not have an effect on the overall water quality or quantity as far as the drainage that the guzzler sits in is concerned. It will however provide a sustainable usable source of water for wildlife.
Compliance:
All necessary compliances have been met for this project.
Methods:
We will contract a company to bring an excavator and dig starting at the tanks and working our way down the drinker line until we find the leaky location. Then we will assess what is damaged and or broken and make necessary repairs to make the drinker function properly.
Monitoring:
Monitoring of the drinker once the repairs have been made will happen on an annual basis, to make sure that things are still working as they should.
Partners:
Utah Wild Sheep foundation is a partner on this project.
Future Management:
We will continue to manage this to be a long term sustainable water source into the future.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
This water source will allow the sheep in the area to utilize the feed and other habitat that is in the area that without water available they would have to leave and not be able to utilize this area.
Budget WRI/DWR Other Budget Total In-Kind Grand Total
$7,556.00 $0.00 $7,556.00 $2,000.00 $9,556.00
Item Description WRI Other In-Kind Year
Contractual Services Track hoe and operator for a minimum of 4 days, and a maximum of 10 days. $7,556.00 $0.00 $0.00 2022
Personal Services (permanent employee) Personnel to drive down and manage the repairs made to the guzzler for 4 separate days. $0.00 $0.00 $2,000.00 2022
Funding WRI/DWR Other Funding Total In-Kind Grand Total
$7,556.00 $0.00 $7,556.00 $2,000.00 $9,556.00
Source Phase Description Amount Other In-Kind Year
Utah Wild Sheep Foundation S022 $7,556.00 $0.00 $0.00 2022
DWR-WRI Project Admin In-Kind $0.00 $0.00 $2,000.00 2022
Species
Species "N" Rank HIG/F Rank
Bighorn Sheep N4 R2
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Mule Deer R1
Threat Impact
Droughts Medium
Habitats
Habitat
Project Comments
Comment 08/31/2022 Type: 2 Commenter: Alison Whittaker
Thank you for submitting your completion report on time. Don't forget to upload any pictures of the project you have of before, during and after completion.
Completion
Start Date:
09/27/2021
End Date:
10/01/2021
FY Implemented:
2022
Final Methods:
Utilizing the State of Utah contracting we hired a contractor to come with a full size excavator and dig until we found and repaired the problem. The contract was drafted in a way that allowed for some flexibility but also some assurance that it would be worth the company's time to come all the way out to the job site to do the work.
Project Narrative:
We took a full size excavator into the site and started digging in front of the tanks, trying to find the problem. When we dug down a ways we noticed the ground getting more and more wet the closer we got to the bulk head connections on the front of the tanks. In the end we exposed all of the front of the tank and down the drinker line about half way and replaced all of the connections and updated them to tough tube and pex connections. This assured us that we didn't get a poor glue job or bury it before glue was able to set up etc. Once the necessary repairs had been made we then lightly covered the pipe with hand tools and rock free soil. Then we used the excavator to finish burying all of the pipe and tanks back up to ground level.
Future Management:
In the future we will continue to monitor the functionality of this guzzler and make any needed repairs to keep it in working order. It will be monitored annually with our guzzler program, and we will likely make it to this one several times in the next few years to be sure that we have the problem completely fixed and that it is in working condition.
Map Features
N/A
Project Map
N/A