Desert Tortoise Monitoring Emergency Bridge Repair
along National Trails Highway

Severe thunderstorms caused flooding in portions of the Mojave Desert, damaging numerous bridges along National Trails Highway (historic Route 66) between Ludlow and Essex. Leatherman BioConsulting, Inc. provided qualified desert tortoise biologists to monitor the emergency repair of over 50 bridges along a 60-mile stretch of the highway, which was closed for several months.

Monitoring included conducting pre-construction nesting bird surveys before clearing vegetation upstream and downstream of the bridges and clearing access roads and bridges before beginning bridge repair work. Also, conducting daily sweeps for desert tortoises in each active work area and continually surveying the National Trails Highway for desert tortoises in active work areas.

A biologist continuously monitored all desert tortoises found in work areas to ensure no take occurred during project activities. Leatherman BioConsulting Inc. has been working with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works and Flood Control District under an on-call contract since 2011. Other services include focused surveys for the Least Bell’s Vireo, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and California Gnatcatcher.

We also did construction monitoring for the South Fork Lytle Creek Bridge Replacement and the Maple Lane Drainage Improvement projects and their Brown-headed Cowbird Trapping Program operation along the Mojave and Santa Ana River systems.