Video: Goats and sheep to help clear growth from riverbed
–The City of Paso Robles contracted with The Goat Girls LLC to graze approximately 15 acres of overgrown vegetation in the Salinas riverbed. Grazing started at Larry Moore Park and moved north along the River Walk to Navajo Road and west under the Niblick Bridge. The path will remain open to the community while the animals are grazing the area.
A mixture of 250 head of goats and sheep arrived in the city a week ago. By Sunday, the animals had moved to underneath the Niblick Road bridge.
The sheep graze on the finer grasses while the goats knockdown and reduce the thicker brush and shrubs. Due to the variation of terrain within the Salinas Riverbed and the desire to limit impacts, grazing could become a key component of the city’s long-term plan to manage vegetation within the riverbed.
Treatment of the 15 acres is estimated to be completed prior to Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. Members of the public are welcome to visit the area and monitor the progress of the grazing operation. There will be electric fencing in the area to contain the animals, so please do not go near the fencing.
If the grazing operation is successful and the desired results are achieved, a larger area will be identified for treatment during the Spring of 2021, prior to the onset of the 2021 Fire Season.
