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Show Antelope Island gets solar pump for Buffalo watering By JOHN W. CANNON ANTELOPE ISLAND - The buffalo on Antelope Island will soon be drinking water pumped by a solar-powered generator. A large solar panel was recently brought to the island just for that purpose. The panel is somewhat unique in that it follows the sun as the day - - progresses, and it turns itself on in the morning and off at night. The panel operates a pump which fills several water tanks near the north end of the island. Even though there are numerous springs on the island, the water tanks have been set up to help distribute the animals more evenly throughout the island. This is done to prevent the buffalo from overgrazing any one part of their range, which they tend to do as they congregate around the limited water holes. The solar pump is expected to save the state park considerable money since it will no longer require re-quire daily attention by park rangers. The previous system operated from a diesel-driven generator ge-nerator and required rangers to turn it on and off each day. The panel will cost the park about $10,000. This will represent considerable savings since the diesel generator was costing about $13,000 to operate. That was broken down to $3,000 a year for fuel costs, $4,000 to transport rangers to the island every day and $6,000 a year to pay the rangers wages to turn the pump on and off every day. 't. "- ' ? 1 1 r J s, -faM , ' , - - ' ' , ' S 4b i " - ' 1 V. i ' '-V" , 1 - - - - I . - n ' ..JL . . ....V- -i .tit- PHOTOS BY JOHN W. CANNON An Antelope Island State Park ranger inspects the new solar panel that will be used to pump water to the buffalo. The panel requires little maintenence if any, turns itself on in the morning and off at night and tilts itself to follow the sun throughout the day. The award-winning management of Antelope Island has come up with yet another creative way to improve the buffalo herd and its rangeland. The state park recently purchased a solar-powered solar-powered generator to pump water to the buffalo. r t W 4 . '-'-'"', - : ' fe"-v' ." ' - " a f ' ' I . ' ! ' . A t '"1 The old diesel-powered generator has served the island for many years. Its drawbacks have been that it requires daily attention from park rangers to turn it on and off and keep it fueled. The engine also requires constant maintenence and repairs. |