Goats clear brush near Lake Miramar
By John Gregory
The sound a goat makes is called a bleat. It’s somewhat high pitched and resembles something like a quick neh-heh-heh-heh-heh. It’s normally not a sound heard in Scripps Ranch, but that changed in October as about 250 goats grazed near Miramar Reservoir along the downstream face of the western part of the dam – a part that faces away from the water.
The herd of goats was placed there around Oct. 14 with the mission of devouring the brush on the slope, according to Tim Breidenstein, reservoir maintenance supervisor for the City of San Diego.
“They were doing some brush management for visibility on the dam for inspection purposes, and to reduce the fuel load,” he said. “They take all the weeds down … It’s something we felt would be a greater option than running a hand crew down there for the same number of days.”
The herd was brought to the location by a company named ELM Goats.
“They are the ones that oversee them and watch them and make sure they are safe and take care of them,” Breidenstein said.
A couple of canines were also seen on duty guarding the herd. A temporary, thin wire fence surrounded the herd to help keep the goats from wandering away.
The goats were on station for a cycle of about 15 days, clearing an assigned 8 acres of brush. The assignment was especially important since late October and early November are critical times in the Southern California wildfire season.
“The goats will typically clear a half to one acre a day or so,” Breidenstein said.
The herd was removed from the area of the reservoir the first week of November.
“They are just going on to their next job. I’m not sure where that is,” Breidenstein said. “They did a great job. I’m very impressed with the work they have done.”
So, don’t be surprised if you are in the vicinity of Miramar Reservoir in the future and hear a goat’s bleat.
“If this task goes well, it’s likely we will bring them back on a somewhat annual basis. … So far everything has gone well,” Breidenstein said.
