Holy Cow! It’s Cattle Fencing.

If you ever had the opportunity to drive along Calaveras Road in Alameda County, you may have noticed a number of cows and calves along the hillside. In preparation for work on the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project, the project included the installation of additional cattle fencing to harbor and protect the cattle, which was completed in September 2011. In addition to cattle, the fencing protects other wildlife species from entering the construction site.


The Calaveras Dam Replacement Project, as well as other Water System Improvement projects in Sunol Valley, work side by side with these animals. These lands have been grazed by cattle for over a century. The SFPUC is on the leading edge of research into the benefits of responsible cattle grazing to watershed lands.


Properly managed livestock grazing has many benefits: reduces fire hazards by controlling the amount and distribution of grasses, benefits plant life by controlling non-native species growth, benefits wildlife by diversifying various species’ habitats while providing natural vegetation management.


For more info, contact us at our 24 hour answer line at (866) 973-1476 or email mle@sfwater.org