Fence Around Canal - Spring 2015

The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) relocated a section of the Coachella Canal along SilverRock golf course in La Quinta and the wildlife agencies required them to build a bighorn exclusion fence around it. CVWD had an 8-10 foot high fence installed that will prevent bighorn from accessing this segment of the Coachella Canal, as well as the urban areas nearby. Three bighorn rams have drowned in the canal since August 2012, and a fourth ram was rescued from the canal this past year. We are pleased with this first-step in getting bighorn in the La Quinta area fenced out of the urban areas. The wildlife agencies have required a fence, or equivalent barrier, to be built around The Quarry, PGA West and the remainder of SilverRock by February 2016. This fence can't come quickly enough as these sheep face urban issues daily including: ingesting non-native, toxic vegetation, being hit by cars, drowning in the Coachella Canal, internal parasites from the watered lawns, ingesting fertilizers and herbicides, etc. We commend CVWD on a well-built fence and constructing it quickly.