City teams up with Forest Service for cleaner watershed

The city of Pocatello and the Caribou Targhee National Forest are teaming up to build a wildlife fence southwest of the city. The fence will help protect the municipal watershed in the Gibson Jack and West Fork Mink Creek drainage.

Forest Service crews cleared a line of vegetation prior to the fire season and the Youth Work Crew installed H-braces. Idaho Fish and Game donated 20-thousand dollars towards fencing materials. Saturday, volunteers helped with the final step, installing fence posts and stringing barbed wire.

“All the rain that falls in that area flows down through that drainage. So the watershed that we’re working in serves as a municipal water supply for the city of Pocatello. So, we’re fencing the top to exclude livestock from that,” said Chris Colt, a wildlife biologist from the National Forest Service.

If you’d like to join their efforts, their next work-day will be August 24. You can contact the Westside Ranger district at (208) 236-7500.