ROCK SPRINGS — A portion of the Killpecker Creek will see goats munching away on brush and weeds following the approval of a $58,000 contract Tuesday night.
The Rock Springs City Council voted to allow LS5 Livestock Company LLC form Farson to use 150 goats to control weeds and brush in a 9.4-acre section from the Springs Drive Bridge to the confluence of the Bitter Creek and Killpecker Creek. The vote wasn’t unanimous as Councilman Rick Milonas voted against the proposal, citing concerns about the effectiveness of the goat-based mitigation efforts. He said the area already targeted by goats earlier this year is looking like a jungle and said grass had gotten worse in the area. Mayor Max Mickelson said the goal is to have the goats eat the brush that clogs the creeks during a flood, saying fresh grasses will lie down during a flood while bushes will hold debris, stay rooted and cause flooding.
Milonas also mentioned objections to the proposal from Madhu Anderson, a resident who sent the Council an email earlier in the day.
“The City must clearly disclose the progress made and the criteria used to evaluate success. Documented evidence of the project’s impact on flood control, including the methods and metrics applied, is essential. Additionally, the City must explain how conditions were evaluated both before and after grazing,” a segment of the email cited by Milonas reads. Milonas questioned the location of the mitigation project as well, saying the confluence would be a better place to place the goats.
Mickelson said the way the mitigation efforts have been planned, the areas that have been targeted are based on the growth of “trees and woody shrubs” and the section identified in the proposal was the best place for the effort. He also said this wouldn’t be the last effort to mitigate the flood risks. Overall, the mayor is happy with the results of the initial goat-let mitigation project.
“The material condition of the creek is greatly improved because it is not to make it pretty, but for flood mitigation,” Mickelson said.
