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Correction:
Due to clerical errors, the total monetary value of the animals illegally killed in 2020 was inaccurately stated in the initial version of this news release. This number has been updated to reflect the accurate total.
DWR conservation officers investigating after equipment from wildlife water guzzler stolen in Washington County
Cedar City — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers are seeking information after some equipment from a wildlife water guzzler was stolen in Washington County sometime last month.
DWR officers began investigating the theft in March. The apron — the large portion of the structure that collects rainwater during storm events — was removed and stolen from a water guzzler near Utah Hill in Washington County. Guzzler aprons are made from a variety of different materials, but are typically metal. They funnel the collected rainwater or snow into a holding tank, and it is then released into a drinking area where it's accessible to wildlife.
Wildlife water guzzler in Washington County, shown without apron.
"Guzzler water structures are extremely important to countless Utah wildlife species because they provide critical water sources for these animals throughout the year, and particularly, during the hot and dry summer months," DWR Sgt. Brandon White said. "Without the presence of an apron, water cannot be collected and stored, rendering a guzzler nearly useless. When crimes like this are committed, it has direct and potentially life-threatening effects for wildlife in the area."
The DWR, land management agencies and other wildlife conservation groups contribute the labor and funding needed to install guzzlers around the state. For more information about wildlife water guzzlers, visit the DWR website.
Anyone with information regarding the stolen guzzler part, or any other wildlife-related crimes in Utah, is encouraged to report it to DWR conservation officers in one of the following ways:
- By calling the UTiP Hotline at 800-662-3337
- The UTDWR Law Enforcement app
- By texting 847411
- Online through the DWR website
If you have information about this specific case, you can also contact DWR Officer Sgt. Brandon White at 435-616-9453. Rewards are available, and requests for confidentiality are respected.
Every year, Utah conservation officers conduct numerous investigations into the illegal killing of wildlife. In 2020, officers confirmed over 1,000 illegally killed animals valued over $387,000.
- Sgt. Brandon White
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435-616-9453 - Lt. Paul Washburn
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435-979-5920
