Determining Wildlife Use of Wildlife Crossing Structures under Different Scenarios

This research evaluated Utah's wildlife crossing structures to help Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources assess crossing efficacy. In this study, remote motion-sensed cameras were used at 14 designated wildlife crossing culverts and bridges, and 21 existing culverts and bridges built for other purposes. Over three years (2008-2011), through June 2011, the 35 cameras recorded 23,957 mule deer passages through designated wildlife crossings, and 1,093 passages under existing culverts and bridges. The results support the statements: 1) mule deer will use bridges to pass under Utah highways, and the bridged overpass to pass over Interstate 15; 2) mule deer prefer shorter culverts, mule deer rates of repellency increased with culvert length, wildlife crossing culverts should be less than 120 ft (36.5 m) long ; 3) culvert width, as animals pass under the road, is more important to mule deer than culvert height, they prefer wider spaces; 4) mule deer, elk, and moose will rarely to never use existing concrete box culverts under interstates unless wildlife fencing (8 ft, 2.4 m high) is present, but once wildlife fencing is present, will only use these structures in limited numbers; 5) all US 6 and Interstate-70 wildlife crossing bridges, culverts, and arch bridges passed mule deer; 6) elk rarely used culverts and bridge structures, it is extremely difficult to build wildlife crossing structures for elk passage; and 7) overall wildlife crossings are working for mule deer. Future crossings that are predicted to work best should be short in length, and wide in span.

• Record URL:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bQL15oqTIAdxfoE4Ha_wP_idH70YIDLt/view?usp=sharing
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Utah State University, Logan

  Department of Wildlife Resources, 5230 Old Main Hill
  Logan, UT  United States  84322-5230

  Utah Department of Transportation

  Research Division
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8410

  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

  1596 West North Temple
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84116-3195

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Cramer, Patricia
• Publication Date: 2012-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 181p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Culverts; Fences; Habitat (Ecology); Highway bridges; Wildlife crossings
• Uncontrolled Terms: Elk; Mule deer
• Geographic Terms: Utah
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01383560
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UT-12.07
• Contract Numbers: 089120
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 3:37PM