Volunteers from the Mule Deer Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Sul Ross University, the Texas Bighorn Society and the Dallas Safari Club worked together to build a 4,600-gallon wildlife water guzzler in the Big Bend region of Texas in March.
Situated on the El Carmen Land & Conservation Company’s Adams Ranch in southern Brewster County, the water collection structure will allow rainwater and supplemental water to be available for local wildlife year around.
“This monumental guzzler will capture over 1,000 gallons of water for every inch of rainfall — an essential resource for productive wildlife populations in this extremely arid region,” said David Wetzel, MDF project coordinator.
The guzzler will help support broad-based conservation efforts underway on the Ranch that focus on species ranging from mule deer and bighorn sheep to elf owls and Rio Grande silvery minnows. The project also feeds into larger, cross border conservation efforts within the El Carmen Project. Benefits from this guzzler and related conservation efforts can be expected to extend onto adjacent ranches as well as the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area and Big Bend National Park.
