Goats are known for trying to eat nearly everything, so would that natural inclination mean they could excel at weed removal?
Central Arizona Project (CAP) had weeds growing in recharge basins and, after getting a quote for mechanical removal that topped $100,000, goats seemed like a good alternative.
Bryant Dickens, water resources field engineer, found a goat herder who would release his Kiko goats into the recharge basin for an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was a fraction of the cost of mechanical removal and could clear weeds from places that machines could not.
The hungry crew arrived at Superstition Mountains Recharge Project to do their thing. They spread out over the basin and started munching. An electric fence net prevented wandering and diverted predators, and a trough provided fresh water.
The goats spent three months in each of the basins, and once they were done, little vegetation remained. The before and after pictures are striking, showing how the goats ate nearly everything except turpentine bush. Apparently, goats don’t really eat everything!
So, are goats the GOAT (greatest of all time) for weed removal?
“They did exactly what they were supposed to do, and it was effective,” said Dickens. “However, it was an extremely slow process.”
Dickens said he recently found another vendor that can do mechanical removal faster and less expensive than the goats. So, the next time weeds need to be addressed in a recharge basin, it is likely to be machines — not munchers — doing the work.
That being said, the goats will always be more entertaining.
