Wildlife Crossings

Presented by:
Lois Balin
Urban Wildlife Biologist
Texas Parks and Wildlife
There has been 5 desert mule deer
fatalities in 4 weeks
along Trans-mountain Road
What doesn’t work?
• Highway lighting
• Ultrasonic whistles
• Signs
• Reflectors
I-10
Northwestern

Restler

Pipeline

Paseo del Norte

State Park
 Wildlife Crossing Options
1. Small Passages
< 5’ diameter tunnels,"ecopipes" and "ecoculverts

Desert tortoise using bridge

underpass

Coyote using culvert underpass

 Wildlife Crossing Options
2. Medium Passages
> 5’ diameter tunnels,"ecopipes" and "ecoculverts"

Bear Culvert

Box Culvert
 Wildlife Crossing Options
3. Large Passages
 7’ diameter underpasses for large mammals
 > 10’ diameter underpasses for mule deer
 Overpasses
 Wildlife Underpasses

Box culvert underpass for mule deer, bobcat and other species,
Wildlife Underpasses

Arizona bridge underpass for elk

 Wildlife Underpasses

Corrugated steel (multi-plate) culvert for mule deer

Wildlife Underpasses
 Wildlife Overpasses
 Green Bridges with large continuous strips of
vegetation
 For large mammals, width ranges from 98’ to >164’
 Deer prefer 164’ – 197’ wide.
 Habitat Alteration
Planting unpalatable species or vegetation removal
along roadways is effective in arid regions.

• One-seed Juniper • Agarita

• Texas Mountain Laurel • Apache Plume
• Texas Persimmon • Autumn Sage
• Texas Pistache • Black Dalea
• Wright’s Acacia • Blue Mist Flower
 .
Rd
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Tr
 I - 10

North
w estern
Road
 Res
tler
Roa
d

Hunt

Plex
ar

Pipeline Rd.
 l Norte
aseo de
PSB LAND

Future P
31°54.29 N 106°33.06 W

PSB LAND
 Future Paseo del Norte

PSB LAND
PSB LAND
State Park

State Park
State Park

State Park
State Park

31°54.29 N 106°31.46 W

State Park
 .
Rd
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 Mitigation for Habitat Loss and
Reduced Habitat Quality
• Avoidance: prevent or avoid ecological impact

• Mitigation: minimize the ecological impact

• Compensation: provide an equivalent amount of

ecological improvement in the local region to
balance the ecological impact that can’t be
avoided or mitigated
Thank you!