R12 Little Fargo "Hot Shots" 2023

The “Little Fargo” guzzler is located on the southern border of Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) on a piece of private property acquired by the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT).  The guzzler was originally constructed in 1997, by Desert Wildlife Unlimited (DWU) and the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS), with permission from the then landowner.  Since JTNP will no longer allow maintenance of the six (6) existing bighorn sheep guzzlers, located within the park, Little Fargo has become increasingly important for the population of bighorn sheep that inhabit and traverse the Little San Bernardino Mountain range.

The Society has maintained this important water source, for desert bighorn sheep, since it’s construction.  Led by “Area Captains”, Monte Hammer and Brian Schwab, the Society and the MDLT have now hauled water to this guzzler two times during the summer of 2021 and 2022 mega drought.  Rains during the 2022/23 season filled the three (3) 2000-gallon tanks, but also filled the area behind the check dam with sand.  Monte and Brian were concerned that all the sand would prevent the guzzler from collecting water from future rain events.  A work party was organized, historically known by the Society as a “Hot Shot Crew”.  In addition to being a land trust, the MDLT also utilizes volunteers to perform habitat 

conservation work.  Both the MDLT and the Society volunteers met early on the morning of April 8, 2023, on Dillon Road near Coachella, CA.  After the hour long 4x4 trek and the ½ mile hike up the canyon and dry waterfall, the volunteers shoveled the yards of sand from behind the dam.  The crew finished digging at about noon as the temperature climbed to 97°F.  Scott Gibson arrived to the work area with lunch provided by the California Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation (CAWSF)