Wednesday, May 14, 2003 | 8:15 a.m.
Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.
Sixty-one volunteers from the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn and other outdoors organizations were on hand recently to assist the Nevada Division of Wildlife in providing an accessible water source for our state animal -- the desert bighorn sheep.
It was constructed in an area of the Delamar Mountains so isolated that a helicopter was required to fly in volunteers and materials.
The project was funded by sportsmen's dollars from the Pittman-Robertson act, collected from excise taxes on the sale of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment.
Craig Stevenson, a biologist with the Nevada Division of Wildlife, indicated the site for Delamar No. 7 had been selected to support two existing projects constructed back in 2000.
"These wildlife waters, in the west portion of the range, will facilitate links with adjacent bighorn populations in the Hiko, South Pahroc and Sheep Ranges," Stevenson said. "Lying outside the Delamar Wilderness Study Area, this project has a metal water collection area (apron) which has not been permitted in these areas. The metal apron is more efficient at collecting the light rainfalls than the slick rock surfaces used in WSAs."
During the construction of an apron project, the ground is cleared and the apron (a huge tarp-like material or metal roofing panels) is laid. Pipes are placed in the ground running downhill from the apron toward the tanks, which can store many gallons of water.
After the precipitation gathers in the apron, the water flows in a downward slope toward the pipe that leads to the holding tank. The water controlled by a valve is released from the tank and eventually drains down to the drinker.
Once the water is inside the drinker, the bees show up first followed by birds, foxes, coyotes and finally the sheep.
After all the hard work was completed, these dedicated volunteers gathered to stake a plaque at the site location, and to show appreciation for a good friend of wildlife, by officially naming the water development "Delamar No. 7 -- Bruce Zeller."
"The project was named for Bruce Zeller, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist, who has worked for over 25 years at the Desert National Wildlife Range, a refuge created for desert bighorn sheep and their habitat northwest of Las Vegas," Stevenson said. "He has written numerous reports, flown dozens of helicopter surveys, attended hundreds of meetings and ridden horseback and hiked thousands of miles to monitor habitat and maintain waters.
"He is an excellent representative of the Service, regularly taking time with refuge visitors. Bruce also volunteers his own time for wildlife projects off of the refuge, including this project."
To have your name placed on a water development is quite a prestigious honor with this organization, and Zeller had no idea this one would carry his name -- until after the plaque had been staked securely in the ground.
"It's pretty gratifying and humbling," said Zeller. "I believe in the importance of water developments, because without them we wouldn't have sheep numbers or the distributions that we have today. It's rewarding to see the private sector and the government working as partners to accomplish a common goal."
Nevada State Wildlife Commissioner, Clint Bentley, also a past president of the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn, said, "The name of the project was given in appreciation of Zeller's dedication and support for the desert bighorn sheep above and beyond his normal job requirements."
The Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn has been involved in approximately 115 major water developments in Nevada. They meet on the first Wednesday of each month at the O.C. Lee Building, 1250 S. Burnham, Las Vegas, at 6:30 p.m.
For more information on this wildlife conservation organization, click on the Internet at: www.desertbighorn.com
archive
