Wildlife Escape Ramp Workshop

In July 2006 a workshop was held in the District to provide hands-on guidance for constructing wildlife escape ramps. Attendees learned about proper construction and installation of wildlife ramps. Escape ramps provide a safe avenue for bats, birds, rodents, and other animals to climb from open tanks and troughs to avoid drowning.

Wildlife escape ramps can be easily produced at a very low cost. They can be built from sheets of expanded metal and cut in squares to any desired size. The squares are then easily bent into a wedge shape. The metal ramps are painted for rust protection and ready for installation. They are bolted or otherwise secured to the lip of any tank or trough. Anyone interested in these escape ramps can stop by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Willcox to view a completed ramp. Proper design should allow for wildlife swimming in any direction in a tank to contact the ramp and climb out. It is important that any ramp be secured against a side wall on the water facility. This ensures animals will come in contact with the ramp and not swim under or around it. The expanded metal ramps can also be designed and installed to provide float protection. Ranchers are encouraged to provide year round water in troughs for wildlife species. This is especially important during times of drought. Some wildlife species need daily water to survive, particularly in the summer months. Bats and birds are an important part of the environment. They help with insect control and pollination of many plant species.

The NRCS requires installation of wildlife escape ramps in all newly constructed open storage tanks and livestock drinking troughs. However, it is a good idea for ranchers to install ramps in all their watering facilities. This helps to protect any wildlife species that may find its way inside a tank or trough. It also safeguards water sources from being fouled from dead, decaying animals. This helps to keep waters clean and safe for use by livestock and wildlife.

For additional information on wildlife escape ramps, contact your local NRCS office in Willcox at 656 N. Bisbee Ave or call 520-384-2229 x.3.

Redington Natural Resource Conservation District P.O. Box 232 Pomerene, Arizona 85627

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