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Where the Buffalo Can't Roam
By Producer, Kelly Meinhart
 uffalo,
or Bison, are massive mammals. They generally weigh 2,000 pounds,
stand 6 feet tall, and are approximately 12 feet long. Those
are the specs for the larger, male, buffalos, with the females
being a bit smaller.
uffalo
once roamed freely throughout North American from the western
grasslands all the way to Georgia. But these days the only places
you’ll find buffalo in the United States are in protected
areas such as Yellowstone National Park, select sanctuaries,
or sometimes in the grassy fields of Pennsylvania.
 hile
our national parks and sanctuaries protect Buffalo from harm,
they’re found in Pennsylvania for a very different reason.
They’ve become an increasingly popular food source for
many Americans, and today you will find a handful of buffalo
farms throughout Pennsylvania. Buffalo may be large and lumbering,
but they are also very mobile creatures that can do a lot of
damage to sensitive natural areas. Such was the case at Bob's Creek.
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ob's Creek is the headwaters to the Juniata River and is situated
in a relatively rural area of Bedford and Blair Counties. Much
of the area is forested state game land. However, there are
several large agricultural operations, like a buffalo farm,
within the headwaters as well.
he folks living downstream of the buffalo farm have been noticing
changes to Bob's Creek. Residents say that over the past twenty
years there’s been an increase in the sediments and nutrients
in the water. The changes they’ve seen are detrimental
to the health of Bob's Creek, which is a wild trout stream.
he community decided to join forces to do something about the
changes they were seeing. So, they formed the ‘Stream
Guardians,’ and brought their issue to the public’s
attention and to the attention of the Bedford/Blair Conservation
District Office. The result was a unique partnership between
several groups, like the Juniata Clean Water Partnership, the
Western Pa Conservancy’s Watershed Assistance Center,
the California University of PA, the County Conservation District
office, and of course, the willingness of the farmer.
he partnership quickly determined that it was the buffalo farm
that was causing the water quality problems in the creek. The
only way to improve the water quality and stop the sediment
from washing downstream was to keep the buffalo out of the stream.
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uffalo enjoy grazing in the grassy areas of the streambanks
and the floodplain, and often give birth to their young in the
cool grassy areas along the creek. You can easily picture the
impacts that a number of 2,000 pound, 6 feet tall buffalo could
have on a stream.
ow does one keep buffalo from going anywhere they please? Stream-bank
fencing, that’s how. But not your average fencing, this
would require something a little more high-tech and a bit stronger
than your average wire fence.
treambank fencing has certainly become a popular conservation
tool throughout Pennsylvania. It’s generally used to keep
cows from entering creeks and streams. Fencing systems help
to protect and maintain the banks, improve water quality, and
keep sediment from washing downstream. It’s a very effective
tool that has improved the water quality of many streams around
the state. But fencing for buffalo is not nearly as common,
so you can understand the challenge the group faced in protecting
Bob's Creek.
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he Stream Guardians hooked up with Jose Taracido, from the California
University of Pennsylvania. Jose is known statewide for his
conservation efforts and for his innovative techniques in conservation
projects. It was Jose’s charge to construct a fence to
keep the buffalo out, and from what I’ve heard about Jose,
I knew he would get the job done.
o, I decided to visit the buffalo farm for myself to see Bob's Creek, and to check out this heavy-duty fence. I was surprised
to not see any buffalo. Jose and the other folks assured me
that the buffalo had been moved to another site during the construction
process. I felt a bit safer that way, knowing that a buffalo
wouldn’t be sneaking up on me.
ose and his crew began by installing creek crossings, so that
the buffalo could move from one field to another, without damaging
the creek. They then began installing a unique type of fencing,
called a mesh fence. It’s stronger than your average wire
fencing, is more visible, and will keep the buffalo from challenging
the fence. Jose and his crew assured me that the fence would
hold back the buffalo, and they used a unique analogy to prove
it. Apparently, if you had a truck at the top of a hill, and
the fencing at the bottom, and rolled the truck downhill toward
the fence – the fence would stop the truck. Now, we didn’t
actually run this scenario, but I’m going to take his
word on it.
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he installation of the fence itself was not an easy process.
There were two crews working for several months, to first install
the wooden posts, and then attach the actual wire. As you can
see from the photo gallery, it was a huge undertaking. You can
learn more about the installation process by checking out Jose’s
interview, as well as looking through the photo gallery.
’m looking forward to returning to Bob's Creek to see
the water quality improvements that the fencing project has
provided, and to finally see the buffalo as well. (The buffalo
photos in the gallery were from a different farm that I visited
early this winter).
his project is a great example of people taking action and helping
to improve their local area. It’s also a positive testament
to the power of partnerships.
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Be sure to visit the following websites, which feature the partners
involved in this unique and successful project.
Juniata Clean
Water Partnership
Pennsylvania
Association of Conservation Districts
California University
of Pennsylvania
Western
Pa Conservancy’s Watershed Assistance Center
Dickinson
College ALLARM partners with Stream Guardians
American
Bison |
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