Several Agencies Make Groundwater Improvements on Rattlesnake Mountain

We might call it Rattlesnake Mountain, but several organizations spent 2019 making it a lot less deadly for Cody’s wildlife.

It doesn’t just serve as one of the iconic peaks of Cody – Rattlesnake Mountain is considered high-quality year-round habitat for elk, moose, mule and whitetail deer, black bear, grizzly bear, blue grouse and turkey. But this habitat has a low amount of available surface water for these iconic animals. BLM installed three water catchment systems across 18 miles of habitat in 1976, but years of winter toil and high winds caused catchment aprons and buried pipelines to lead.

In Summer 2019, the Bureau of Land Management Cody Field Office, Wyoming Game and Fish, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces to install new water catchment systems, using helicopters to lift seven 800 lb catchment aprons onto the mountain, and installing wildlife friendly encasement fences and escape ramps.

While it might be offering Mother Nature a helping hand, it’s definitely helping kept Cody wild. Within 45 days, game cameras captured all of the previously mentioned species and several others grabbing a drink on Rattlesnake Mountain.