Residents urge county to protect wild mustang access to Washoe Lake amid new fencing plans

Residents and public commenters asked the CAB to press for protections that preserve wild mustang access to Washoe Lake as proposed roadside fencing is installed.

Public comments Carol Hill, speaking as a resident, said local volunteer groups such as Mustang rescue work to repair and maintain fencing so horses can reach Washoe Lake and its springs. She said fences farther up the hills require resources to repair and that existing breaks have allowed horses to cross highways and be struck by vehicles. "We would just like to encourage if they're going to do further fencing that they still allow the Mustangs access to their water source and use those, fencing resources to inject them better at the highway," Hill said.

Another remote commenter, Iris Jaley Pippard, identified herself as an unincorporated Washoe County resident and said recent Department of Agriculture fencing plans would be "inhumane" to wild horses and risk tourism that visits to view the mustangs bring to the area.

Why it matters Speakers argued that fencing design and placement can both protect wildlife and reduce vehicle strikes if properly sited and maintained. Several CAB members asked staff to add an update on mustang fencing and related projects to a future agenda so stakeholders can present implementation details.

Ending Board members asked staff to coordinate potential speakers from animal-rescue groups and city/county project leads for a future meeting so the community can review project scope and mitigation measures.