Desert bighorn sheep documented using new wildlife overpasses along US-93

Arizona Game and Fish research biologist Jeff Gagnon recently announced on the Wildlife, Fisheries, and Transportation listserv that desert bighorn sheep have already been detected using the newly-constructed wildlife overpasses along US 93 in northwest Arizona.

For those of you that are not aware, AZ took on the task of locating (using GPS movement data) and constructing 3 wildlife overpasses for desert bighorn sheep beginning in 2004, these overpasses were just completed recently.

Although the funnel fences are not yet complete we have still documented sheep crossing overpasses on US 93 [...]

These are the first documented crossings of an overpass by desert bighorn sheep ever. This is at the overpass at MP 5.1. Near Hoover Dam, just across the river from Las Vegas.

Thanks to ADOT, FHWA, AGFD, NPS and BLM

Learn more about desert bighorn sheep in northwest Arizona:

• AZGFD: Efforts to maintain desert bighorn sheep movement corridors across U.S. Highway 93 near Hoover Dam
• Daily Miner: Protecting one of Arizona's wildest attractions: Agencies work together to reverse dwindling sheep population