Mine Pad Guzzler Expansion Completed in Nevada

In March 2013, Grand Slam Club/Ovis members partnered with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited (NBU) to fund the construction of the Mine Pad guzzler in Nevada Game Management Unit 208, approximately 19 miles south-southwest of Mina, Nevada.  Built in one of the driest regions in North America, the guzzler was designed to provide a dependable water source for desert bighorn sheep and other wildlife.

Over the past 13 years, the project has done exactly what it was intended to do.  The reliable water source has helped support a growing and healthy desert bighorn sheep population.  That success, however, created a new challenge.  According to NDOW biologists, the increasing number of sheep utilizing the guzzler had grown to the point that the existing system could no longer consistently meet demand.  The guzzler was frequently being depleted, requiring NDOW personnel to make repeated trips to haul water to the site.  While effective as a temporary solution, it was neither practical nor sustainable in the long term.

Recognizing the need to build upon the success of the original project, GSCO once again partnered with NDOW and NBU.  Through a GSCOnservation grant of more than $29,000, GSCO funded the materials needed to significantly expand the Mine Pad guzzler’s water collection and storage capacity.

The expansion included a new 20-foot by 90-foot standalone water collection apron, an 18-foot extension to the original apron, and the installation of three new 2,300-gallon storage tanks.  Upon completion, the system now consists of seven 2,300-gallon storage tanks, providing more than 16,000 gallons of storage capacity, a 1,000-gallon octagonal drinker, protective fencing to exclude livestock, feral horses, and burros, and a Ranchbot remote monitoring system capable of tracking precipitation and water levels in real time.

Rain had been forecast for the weekend, and as volunteers completed construction late Saturday, light showers began to fall.  The rain continued steadily through the night, and by Sunday morning the Ranchbot monitoring system indicated that approximately 2,100 gallons of water had already been captured by the newly expanded guzzler.  In Mineral County, often described as the driest county in the driest state in the nation, it was an incredible way to conclude the project and an immediate demonstration of the value of the expansion.

The Mine Pad guzzler was designed primarily to benefit desert bighorn sheep, but it also provides an important water source for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, upland birds, and numerous other wildlife species that inhabit this rugged landscape.

The project brought together 65 dedicated conservationists, including four Nevada Department of Wildlife employeesand 61 Nevada Bighorns Unlimited volunteers, all working toward a common goal. Representing Grand Slam Club/Ovis were Darren Tucker, Lucas Paugh, TJ Sanchez, and Warner Brown, who worked alongside their conservation partners throughout the project.  GSCO also donated a custom YETI® cooler to the NBU guzzler crew in recognition of their outstanding volunteer efforts.

Project Volunteers

Andrew Bonca • Andy Baradic • Andrew Morris • Bob Milne • Brad Pillsbury • Christine Fast • Cody Judd • Darren Tucker • Donald Judd • Ed Wass • Darrin Fast • Gaylord Cleveland • John Valley • Keith Bagley • Kevin Agrella • Lou Panetta • Lucas Paugh • Matt Dillon • Michelle Pillsbury • Mike Paul • Ray Geiger • Reuben Telles • Robert Jenne • Shane Evans • Steve Madison • Tim Blank • Tim Baugh • TJ Sanchez • Tom Lobkowicz • Elizabeth Tom • John Tyburczy • Emma Milne • Miriam Smith • Steve Duncan • Brett Long • Warner Brown • Shayla Casbarro • Lane Cofland • Fred Hatcher • Chris Blasquez • Cole Lemons • Logan Fogarty • Tye Fogarty • John Townsend • Dave Duncan • Jennifer Davis • Larry Johnson • Jim Koehler • Bob Williams • Eric Johnson • Grant Wallace • Lenn Coons • Liam Bagley • Steve Hall • Pat Reichman • Allen Stanley • Matt Fogarty • Evan McQuirk • Mike Ryan • Victor Yohey • Pat Pinjuv • Kenny Pirkle • Julie Bless • Cole Hustead • Dalton Kinamon

Projects like Mine Pad demonstrate what GSCOnservation is all about.  More than a decade ago, GSCO members invested in a critical wildlife water source that helped grow a thriving desert bighorn sheep population.  Today, because that original investment was so successful, GSCO members returned to expand the very project they helped create.

That is the essence of adaptive, boots-on-the-ground conservation, not simply completing a project, but returning when success creates new opportunities and new conservation needs.  It is a lasting investment in wildlife, made possible by the continued support of GSCO members.