ROCK SPRINGS — Goats will make another visit to the Killpecker Creek next month following action by the Rock Springs City Council Tuesday evening.

The Council voted to approve a contract between the city and  LS5 Livestock Company in Farson. The measure did not pass unanimously, as Councilmen Rick Milonas and Daniel Pedri voted against it. The company will send between 100 and 250 goats to areas along the Killpecker Creek between April and June to eat vegetation along the creek. The city will pay $92,000 for the project.

The goats will eat noxious weeds growing along the creek’s banks in a bid to control vegetation growth and potentially reduce flooding. The city initially used goats to mitigate grass and weeds along the creek last year. The previous contract between the two was for $58,000 and was approved last September. The goats’ consumption of the vegetation is believed to help protect the city from fires and flooding in the creek system. 

“This is an overall safety issue we’re trying to enact to keep our vegetation along the creek beds and waterways from catching fire, while also helping mitigate any flooding that would happen in the event of a big storm,” Councilman Larry Hickerson said. 

Josh Skorcz, the owner of LS5, said the costs associated with the project come from the need to have a lot of manpower involved with it, including having someone on-site 24 hours a day. He said the company also looks at moving 10,000 linear feet of fencing to keep the goats contained during the operation.

“It’s a very labor-intensive, time-consuming thing,” Skorcz said.

Director of Engineering and Operations Paul Kauchich said the city intends to make goat mitigation an annual project, so long as the Council continues allocating funds to it. 

He said the goats’ digestive system destroys the noxious plant seeds, preventing those plants from growing back. The city hopes to replace the noxious plants with better vegetation that will allow for higher water flows through the creek system. Kauchich said the City of Cheyenne has operated a similar program for years.

I know people complain about the money being spent, but when they have damaged property and that due to flooding, they’re going to start asking us why the hell didn’t we spend the money in the first place.

Rock Springs City Councilman Rob Zotti

The Council has received a series of questions from residents, with some residents also voicing opposition to the initiative.

Milonas disagrees with the thought that the goats are helping mitigate the plants, telling the Council he would be voting against the contract. He said he took photos of the areas previously visited by goats and doesn’t see a lot of change in the vegetation in those areas. Pedri said he personally supports the initiative, but said he would also vote against it because his constituents voiced concerns and opposition about the project.

Councilman Randy Hansen said the city’s hands are tied when it comes to how it can deal with vegetation in the creek, saying the goats are an organic means of combating the vegetation. He said while he doesn’t expect flooding this year, it serves as a proactive approach to flooding in the creek.

Councilman Rob Zotti said he understands the project involves a lot of money, but says residents will criticize the city if a flood occurs.

“I know people complain about the money being spent, but when they have damaged property and that due to flooding, they’re going to start asking us why the hell didn’t we spend the money in the first place,” Zotti said.