R10 Faydee Repair completed

On March 22, 2025, SCBS teamed up with the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Desert Bighorn Sheep team to make repairs to the Faydee Wildlife Water System.  This particular guzzler has been fraught with problems for years, particularly because of the steep pitch of the rain collection mat. The top edge of the rainmat is continually affected by winds on the ridge. Anchor rocks are not effective because they eventually roll downhill and do not stay where they are most needed. Both SCBS and CDFW would like to relocate and upgrade this system; obtaining those permits from BLM may take a year or more, so we needed to repair the system one more time while we are working on the new plan. The new location will be a Raincatcher tank system, which should eliminate the plague of freeze breakage and damages sustained from the bighorn rams head-butting the tanks. The new rainmat will not be located on a steep sidehill or ridgeline. It is also optimal to find a location that is more serviceable going into the future, as the present system is located in Wilderness.

The newer tan rainmat had come loose, and shimmied down the hill. It took every single member of the crew to pull the 900 pound Hypalon mat up the hill, and then remove it to leave the old black mat exposed. The old black mat’s holes were patched, so we believe it should be enough for it to collect enough rain to keep this system in service. The plumbing for all three tanks was repaired and upgraded. Both SCBS volunteers and CDFW’s crew worked effectively and cohesively. SCBS also packed out some trash from previous repairs.

SCBS volunteers who answered the call of duty on this project: Marty Ambrose, Mike Morgan, Steve Marschke, Debbie Miller Marschke, Arioch M’Greene, David M’Greene, and Austin Smith.

Thanks to CDFW Jeff Villepique for mustering as many crew members as he could assign, we could not have done this project without CDFW Danielle Glass, Rick Ianneillo, Ana Solberg, Samantha Stetler, Cara Wiederman, and Jake Garrett (Bishop and Blythe CDFW offices).