You are cordially invited to join fellow conservationists in the magnificent Texas Trans Pecos where the Mule Deer Foundation’s Texas Chapters will be putting water on the ground for deer and other wildlife just outside Van Horn, TX on the spectacular Lado Ranch as guests of Wexford Ranches! This project will consist of laying out about 4.8 miles of pipeline, installing an in-line storage / pressure reduction tank(s), and adding 3-4 drinkers to an existing water system serving mule deer and other wildlife in the area. We anticipate needing about 40 volunteers to complete this work.
We are asking that folks try and arrive on Friday evening the 28th, so that we can get an early start on what is anticipated to be a one day project beginning on Saturday morning. Offsite lodging is available in Van Horn at a number of clean and reasonably priced hotels. Good highway will take you to the Ranch headquarters about 10 miles east of Van Horn on HWY 90, but we recommend 4-wheel drive vehicles if possible for getting to the work sites, or better yet double up with a buddy and it will help with parking. We will also be holding an inaugural MDF Van Horn Chapter banquet and auction to help raise money for MDF and future projects during the event, so if you have any fun items of value that might be suitable for this please bring them along! We are also specifically looking for volunteers with experience in emergency medical practice, social media, and food service. If this sounds like something you would be willing to help with we would like to speak with you personally before the project. And if you have any hand tools (picks, rakes, shovels, etc.) you can bring, that would also be helpful.
This project is just the latest installment in historic, landscape scale wildlife conservation efforts that have been going on in these scenic desert mountains for many years, and this is your opportunity to put your name alongside some of Texas’ greatest conservationists doing this important work! Join us for the most fun you will ever have working hard, and see firsthand where your conservation dollars go! You will leave knowing it was time and money well spent!
We will be providing breakfast and lunch on Saturday the 29th during the project at the Ranch, and dinner and admission to the banquet in Van Horn for the first 40 volunteers to sign up for the project, but we need to have a good head count by April14th so we can make sure every one’s name is in the pot! Please RSVP with us ASAP, and in order to keep the lawyers happy, and to insure that we have good contact information for everyone in case of an accident, we will provide you with a couple of documents to read carefully, sign and fill in the blanks, and return to us no later than April 21st.
In addition to your particular needs for a hard workday in the desert, we would specifically recommend that everyone, at a minimum, bring the following items:
- Long-Sleeved Shirt(s)
- Sturdy Work Boots
- Sunscreen
- Work Gloves & Hat(s)
- Sunglasses
- Cooler & Water
You can link to a Google map to the Lado Ranch here, and if you would like us to email you a detailed description of the project, or if you need any additional information please contact us at the following. Thanks for your interest, and we look forward to seeing you in the Trans Pecos in April!
Lado Ranch / Mule Deer Foundation
Wildlife Water Development Project Proposal
Background:
The Lado Ranch is a privately held property consisting of approximately 93,000 acres with its northern reaches beginning about 10 miles east of Van Horn, Texas and extending to the Rio Grande and Mexico border on its southern reaches. The ranch is actively managed for wildlife with well developed programs including habitat restoration and specific restoration and management efforts in place aimed at species including everything from quail and prairie dogs to mule deer and desert bighorn sheep.
Project / Relationship Goals:
The goal of initiating a mutually beneficial relationship between the Mule Deer Foundation and the owners of the Lado Ranch is first and foremost to build critical habitat support for existing populations of mule deer in the targeted region, and by extension neighboring properties as these populations expand. Beyond that it is desired that the momentum and positive exposure provided by partnering with like minded and well respected organizations carry the benefits achieved far into the future and ultimately well beyond our borders.
Project Outline:
We would like to build upon an existing water distribution system servicing the northern reaches of this property where current densities of deer are in the range of 30-40 acres per deer. Serving this area with numerous and reliable sources of water is particularly critical to the maintenance of robust fawn survival numbers and to build overall herd numbers in the region by reducing exposure to predation and expanding habitat utilization.
Project specifics call for extending a water pipeline 4.8 miles from a large existing water cistern holding tank to complement other runs already in place. Water is generated at this central location with a submersible pump installed in an 1100 foot well, but may also be supplemented manually if it is ever required. Installation of a single 2500 gallon holding tank is envisioned at about the 2 mile mark of the proposed line with 3-4 drinkers installed along this stretch of pipeline. Beyond the 2 milemark elevation changes will necessitate the installation of 1 smaller tank (1000 gallon) to relieve pressure on the line, and an additional 2-3 drinker sites will be installed in this stretch of pipeline. Adequate pumping capacity is in place at the origination site to service this line. Extension of the line beyond this point is possible and desired for future expansion of the system. Commercially available drinkers with float valve controls designed to resist damage from freezing and minimize evaporation will be used in all locations. Trail cameras will be installed for monitoring of drinker locations and will allow “fine-tuning” of drinker locations to determine their usage patterns and preferences. Well written and photo documented press releases and / or articles detailing the project, and follow up reporting on outcomes will be provided to all partners in the project.
Project Logistics:
Supplies for this project, as well as the distribution of the water line on the property have been sourced at the West Texas Division of Spring Branch Water Well Service out of Fort Stockton, TX (432-336-7867) a local company that has done work on the property, has equipment for rolling out the pipe, and is familiar with the terrain. Their pricing estimate is included with this proposal. We anticipate using MDF volunteers and Ranch personnel to complete placement and connections of the in line storage tanks (2) and drinkers (6) during the course of a two day, weekend project tentatively scheduled for early spring of 2017 (March or April). Lodging and food service during the project will be available for volunteers nearby in Van Horn. Lunches on site during the project, and at least one dinner (either catered on site or in Van Horn) will be provided for volunteers at project expense.
Funding Requirements:
A working budget of $27,500.00 is being requested for this project with financial and volunteer participation from any / all Texas MDF Chapters through their Chapter Rewards Program. Funding at this level would allow the project to proceed as described, including the food service on site. Once project approval is granted we will work on soliciting donations wherever possible (possibly food service and some plumbing fittings) and it may be possible to include project sponsorships in MDF Chapter auctions if there is time available following formal approval. Some success has been achieved on past projects by holding an on-site auction and / or raffles(s) although any money raised in this manner would have to be applied to future projects through MDF.
If adequate funding is not in place far enough in advance of the project date (4 months minimum), it may be possible to shorten the run length to approximately 2 miles, and drinker installations to 3-4 to reduce costs.