This project will repair components of the failing wildlife water supply system on the north and south chimineasunits of the carrizo plains ecological reserve (cper) in SAN luis obispo county,…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior awarded $102,800 to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety Program (CFDA 15.611) on July 1, 2025, with a completion date of June 30, 2027. This formula grant funds the repair and restoration of critical wildlife water supply infrastructure on the North and South Chimineas units of the Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve (CPER) in San Luis Obispo County, California. The project encompasses repairs to three wells, water tanks, and associated wildlife trough networks serving approximately 25,000 acres of arid habitat.

The water system improvements directly support wildlife conservation and habitat management across the 40,000-acre CPER, which sustains populations of tule elk, pronghorn, coastal blacktail deer, black bear, and diverse upland game and non-game species. CDFW's habitat management efforts on the reserve also benefit wildlife populations and hunting opportunities on adjacent Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands. The project aligns with the Pittman-Robertson program's mandate to restore, conserve, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitats through state-level wildlife management initiatives.

This project will repair components of the failing wildlife water supply system on the north and south chimineasunits of the carrizo plains ecological reserve (cper) in SAN luis obispo county, california. The water system iscomprised of three wells that feed a tank and wildlife trough network across approximately 25,000 acres of aridbig game habitat. The california department of fish and wildlife (cdfw) is comprised of six inland regions and one marine region.cdfws central regions coastal lands and wildlife program manages the 40,000-acre cper, which supports tule ELK, pronghorn, coastal blacktail deer, black bear, upland game (dove and quail) and a diverse non-game speciesassemblage. Cdfw provides public hunting access on the ecological reserve for ELK, deer, pigs, rabbits, andupland game. The habitat management here also benefits the wildlife and hunting opportunities on the adjoiningbureau of land management (BLM) and US forest service (USFS) lands.