MDF Chapter Rewards

Guzzler installed to protect wildlife near Round Mountain, Nev.

Smoky Valley Chapter teams with Round Mountain Gold Company and others to aid wildlife

MDF’s Smoky Valley Chapter (Round Mountain, Nev.), Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), Round Mountain Gold Corporation (RMGC), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) joined forces on November 7, 2003, to install a guzzler in the Big Smoky Valley near Round Mountain, Nevada. The project was three years in the making and was installed on USFS land.

Used to collect and store rainwater, guzzlers provide water sources to a variety of wildlife, including antelope, deer and birds. Gathering in collection ponds, rainwater is fed to a large storage tank and drinker. Guzzlers are typically constructed in remote areas where few water sources exist for animals and where there is little interaction with humans.

“It is such a pleasure to see this vital wildlife project finally come together,” said NDOW biologist Teri Slatauski. “Round Mountain Gold had established a trough and was providing water for antelope and other species of wildlife behind their mine for over five years, and they were actively involved in every stage of the process.” The new guzzler, which will be maintained by NDOW, will prevent wildlife from seeking water sources on mine property, where they had been known to drink from leach ponds and faced being hit by haul trucks and other vehicles.

RMGC donated two 1,800-gallon water storage tanks and the material for the 900-square-foot apron that collects rainwater. They also helped secure the guzzler’s site and contributed approximately $10,000 towards the project.

MDF’s Smoky Valley Chapter contributed $1,500 towards the project and assisted in the planning stages and construction.

“This very worthwhile project was something that we felt would benefit not just the population of mule deer, but all the other various species of wildlife in the area,” said Jessica Musselman, MDF Smoky Valley Chapter Chair.

RMGC General Manager Mike Lannacchione agreed. “When this project was first proposed, our employees and management team got really excited about it because of our established relationship with the wildlife around our complex. It was such a natural and beneficial project that we had to get involved with it.”

The following people helped with the construction of the guzzler: Brad Bauman, Ed Berua, Lance Brown, Tom Donham, Cleveland Dudley, Brian Eller, Clint Garrett, Jim and Nancy Helming, Sally McLeod, Richard Musselman, and John and Teri Slatauski.