Hidden Cameras Reveal Arizona’s Daring Plan to Save Its Wildlife From Drought

Many of the catchments are intended to be relatively low maintenance, designed to refill themselves at least partially during rainfall. However, Arizona is, along with the rest of the West, going through a record megadrought that is altering the daily fabric of life in the region. Even 2021’s aggressive monsoon season—which has been the third-wettest on record—hasn’t been enough to pull Arizona of drought.

“We usually get a break from hauling water in August after monsoon rains refill much of our water catchments,” Joseph Currie, habitat planning program manager, who oversees AZGFD’s water-catchment efforts, said in a release. “However, due to this extreme drought, we haven’t stopped hauling water from 2020. We anticipate having to haul more water this year than we ever have before.”

The Drought Monitor showed on Wednesday that all of the state was still in some form of drought, with much of the northern half of Arizona in either extreme or exceptional drought. Arizona is about to see an even tighter squeeze when it comes to water: Last week, officials declared the first-ever water shortage in the history of the Colorado River, which will cut Arizona’s water allocation by 18%. Those cuts will mostly hit farmers, though the natural world will also suffer.

In a dire drought like the one the West is in, it’s extra crucial for wildlife to have access to water. One elk needs around 4 gallons of water per day, while a mule deer needs between 1 and 1 1/2 gallons. Some, they can get from the vegetation they eat, but ultimately they need fresh water from lakes, streams, and other water bodies to stay hydrated.

When those sources dry up, wildlife can suffer in a variety of ways. Prey animals can become weaker and more vulnerable, animals traveling extra miles to look for water can get hit by cars, and the lack of water can cause developmental problems, sickness, and death. Earlier this year, a study found that a “mass die-off” of songbirds in multiple states, including Arizona, was exacerbated by drought and climate change, with a lack of water probably making the birds start their crucial winter migration in poor condition.

“Historic drought periods, such as this one, were typically followed by massive die-offs of wildlife,” Currie said. “By hauling water, we are able to stabilize those populations, keeping them alive and out of urban areas in search of water.”

Wildlife tends to be pretty skittish around people for obvious reasons. To see who exactly is showing up at the tanks, the AZGFD set up camera traps to spy on visitors.

A wide array of species have been seen swinging by for a drink. Deer and elk will hoof it over and even predators have shown up for a drink.

Even birds have dropped in to wet their beaks.

Maintaining these catchments is not cheap, requiring thousands of dollars to operate trucks and trailers hauling water to wildlife every day. Many of the catchments are so remote that trucks can’t reach them, and they instead require helicopters to fill them. In an average year, it costs AZGFD $250,000 in helicopter fees alone to maintain the catchments, which can hold anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 gallons of water. Last year, AZGFD spent $500,000 on helicopters alone. In 2018, the total budget for the catchment program was $690,000. (Neither the catchment program nor the AZGFD itself gets tax dollars, but is funded by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and donations.)

Arizona isn’t alone in putting water out for wildlife. Other states, including Nevada, also maintain catchments—referred to a variety of names, including guzzlers, water developments, trick tanks, and drinkers. The tradition started with hunters hoping to provide some water for the quail they were hunting. (Nevada’s website emphasizes the history behind the guzzlers and the benefit they provide to “target animals” like bighorn sheep.)

But as humans changed the landscape of the desert and changed wildlife’s access to water, the catchments have become increasingly important. Fragmentation of landscapes has made it more difficult for wildlife to access watering holes, with roads and subdivisions bisecting their territory. The wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has further bifurcated some species’ range, making artificial watering holes that much more important.

“Most of the desert animals have evolved to be able to drink very, very little free water, but when the free water is available, they’ll use it,” Currie told a local news outlet.

Climate change is also increasing the need for lending wildlife a helping hand. The Southwest is drying out, and the region is currently locked in a megadrought, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in at least 1,200 years. It’s expected to dry further in the coming decades, and that could intensify drought. That means wildlife will need to adapt to survive—and humans may have to lend an even bigger hand to help them do just that.