Get ready for the goats
By Terry Murry on Monday, May 20th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The goats will be eating their way to the River Parkway this month. Pendleton Public Works Director Bob Patterson says the goats are now working on private city properties, but they’ll be on the levee soon. This is the 12th year the goats have come to Pendleton.
“We expect, right now with our grazing activity, that it will be somewhere between Memorial Day weekend and the first of June,” he said.
Patterson is already reminding goat watchers to keep their dogs leashed and stay away from the fencing that will separate the goats from walkers on the levee. The goats have been keeping growth down on the parkway essentially due to regulations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“That is the whole purpose of the program, to make sure our storm system is operational,” he said. The goats are paid for out of the city’s sewer fund. The goats graze 60 to 100 acres a year. It costs the city an estimated $550 to $600 an acre to graze.
