BLM Buffalo FO overcomes grit with determined partners to install wildlife guzzlers

Depending on where you’re from, it could be called a drinking fountain, water fountain, or maybe even bubbler. Across the pond, it might be called a drinking tap. The wildlife here in Wyoming don’t care what you call it.  

Reliable water can be hard to come by for wildlife in the fifth-driest state in the U.S. The BLM Wyoming Buffalo Field Office and volunteers from Devon Energy and the Wyoming Conservation Corps know that better than most. For nearly 20 years, these three have partnered to improve areas within the Buffalo Field Office: from well plugging, trail maintenance, and sage grouse habitat enhancements to recreation site maintenance and – most recently – wildlife guzzlers.  

Finding water can be a daily challenge for wildlife that takes a lot of energy. In the clinker hill outcrops of Burnt Hollow Special Recreation Management Area, it can be nearly impossible to find habitat with a reliable water source and adequate forage. Clinker is a sedimentary rock composed of burnt shale and sandstone, so these hills lack the bedrock required to hold standing bodies of water amongst the sagebrush. 

Even the limited standing water available to wildlife in this region can pose a risk.  

“Two major diseases of our big game here in Wyoming can be transmitted by biting midges that lay their eggs in the muddy areas along the edge of water,” said BLM wildlife biologist Wyatt Wittkop. “Guzzlers are a relatively low-cost and effective way to put water in otherwise illogical locations without providing breeding conditions for those insects.” 

Not only does creating more water sources help reduce disease transmission, but further dispersed water availability also helps make under-utilized habitats viable for these animals, and increased distribution helps them expend less energy getting to water. 

Guzzlers catch precipitation using an apron made of large, non-permeable material that then routes water into a covered tank, which collects, stores and preserves water by limiting evaporation. The small part open for drinking has a sloped and textured ramp so small animals and birds can use it without becoming trapped. Bowhunters of Wyoming worked with the Buffalo Field Office to install two guzzlers this past year, with plans to install six total. 

“By improving habitat on public lands, we’re creating more opportunities for everyone to enjoy Wyoming’s incredible wildlife,” said Tom Hurley, past president of Bowhunters of Wyoming. “Working with the Buffalo BLM Field Office, we developed the idea of strategically placing wildlife guzzlers on public lands to provide reliable, year-round water sources. Our members have consistently told us they want to invest in projects that create lasting benefits for wildlife and public lands, and this is exactly the kind of boots-on-the-ground conservation Bowhunters of Wyoming is proud to support. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous partnership with the BLM, Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Wyoming Sportsman’s Group, the Conservation Corps crew provided by Devon Energy, and the many volunteers who donated their time and hard work to make this project a reality.” 

The area where the guzzlers were installed is part of 18,000 remote acres that make up Burnt Hollow SRMA – public land used for non-motorized recreation opportunities. Old roads provide a network for riding and hiking, but it was tricky to get equipment into the areas where machinery was needed at the sites, such as the skid steer one of the Bowhunters members used to install a guzzler.

“Devon Energy has proudly partnered with Wyoming Conservation Corps for nearly 20 years and remains committed to environmental stewardship in the communities where we live and operate,” said Rebecca Byram, advising environmental professional at Devon Energy. “Through our longstanding partnership with the WCC, we provide funding, materials and employee volunteers for projects identified by local regulatory partners as having a meaningful impact. One recent example is the installation of a wildlife guzzler on Bureau of Land Management land in northeastern Wyoming. This partnership gives WCC participants firsthand insight into the planning and environmental review processes associated with responsible oil and gas development.”

Young adults participate in the WCC, an AmeriCorps program, every year — gaining important personal and technical skills and gaining experience in natural resource and environmental career fields. 

"The Burnt Hollow guzzler project is a perfect example of what we are trying to achieve through our service model,” said Amanda Harper, WCC program director. “Through a longstanding partnership with the BLM and Devon Energy, our AmeriCorps members were able to complete a project alongside volunteers from Devon and the Bowhunters of Wyoming. They gained hands on experience installing the guzzler and got to see how industry, sportsmen, and land managers work together to steward Wyoming's public lands. I think this project and this partnership exemplify the commitment to service we hope to inspire in our AmeriCorps members.” 

This year, WCC had eight members who helped install the guzzler, built fences and “had a crash course in Wyoming wind, snakes, ticks and terrain,” said Wittkop. They also assisted with maintenance and cleanup of sites on public lands in addition to helping complete a guzzler project that has been in the making for two years. 

“I’ve come to realize WCC always seems to bring a big trailer full of tools, a positive attitude, and a great work ethic,” said Wittkop. “Between the WCC crew, BOW and Devon volunteers, we were definitely not short on people needed to place the catchment apron and tank, which weighs nearly 800 pounds. Many hands makes light work!” 

Partnerships are key to successfully completing projects like this on public lands for the benefit of current and future generations. From a Devon employee who helped found the WCC nearly 20 years ago (and volunteers to this day) to a young student with the WCC learning how to set a corner post, each helping hand pays it forward and provides long-term benefits and multiple-use opportunities on these landscapes.