Hwy 395 | Mammoth Crossing

Advancing the protection of migration corridors, wildlife movement, and motorists through partnerships.

Mari Galloway

Hwy 395

runs North to South, beginning East of Los Angeles before running East of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to the Oregon border and fragments important habitat for California's wildlife.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

identified wildlife movement barrier priorities to address throughout the State of California (in red). Significant stretches of Highway 395 were identified as priority barriers that should be addressed to facilitate wildlife movement and enhance public safety (green arrows).

Wildlife Migration Corridors

The eastern Sierras is one of the few areas in the State of California with seasonal migration routes. Allowing wildlife to safely cross Highway 395 will be critical to ensure that mule deer, elk, and pronghorn migration corridors in the Eastern Sierras are preserved.

Addressing Impacts

On both northern and southern extents of Highway 395, local governments, Caltrans, CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Tribes, federal government agencies, non-government agencies, and academics are collaborating to address barriers to wildlife movement and public safety.

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Hallelujah Junction Crossing

In partnership with Pathways for Wildlife, NGOs, Tribes, and state and federal agencies, Wildlands Network is working to facilitate important East to West movement to allow wildlife to access high-value habitat in the Sierra Nevada range to the West and the valley's sagebrush habitats to the East. The habitats on either side of the highway are home to coyotes, pronghorn, mule deer, coyote, mountain lion, American badger, and long-tailed weasel.

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Mammoth Crossing

Caltrans District 9 completed a roadkill hot spot analysis and found that 4 out of 5 hotspots within its entire district were located on a relatively short stretch of Hwy 395. Study on local mule deer and pronghorn movement is ongoing to better understand how ungulates move through the landscape.

Mammoth Crossing

US 395 in Mono County traverses a large area with diverse geology and habitats that support and contain numerous wildlife species. The natural landscape topography, including higher elevation basins, mountain passes, canyons, and valley floors, influences both the Highway's alignment and various wildlife migration and holding patterns. This confluence of habitat and the highway results in conflicts between vehicles and wildlife.

In 2016, Caltrans analyzed roadkill data to identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots within District 9.

The assessment identified 6 hotspots that were almost all located on a relatively short stretch of Highway 395.

Caltrans partnered with CDFW, local governments, NGOs, and federal agencies to form the Eastern Sierra Wildlife Stewardship Team and identify potential solutions to lower barriers to wildlife movement.

The Eastern Sierra Wildlife Stewardship Team developed an alternative that would install directional fencing and 6 crossings that could reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by 90% or greater:

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Hwy 203 Wildlife Bridge

The wildlife overcrossing in combination with directional fencing would facilitate wildlife movement and seasonal migrations as well as enhance public safety.

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Mammoth Creek Bridge

By improving the existing bridge and installing directional fencing, this structure can enhance safe passage for wildlife and motorists.

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Wildlife Overcrossing/ Undercrossing

By installing a wildlife undercrossing or overcrossing, vehicle collisions with wildlife can be avoided.

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Wildlife Overcrossing

Constructing wildlife crossings would provide passage for a variety of wildlife, including coyotes, bobcats, badgers, and mountain lions, reducing instances of vehicle collisions with wildlife.

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Convict Creek UnderCrossing

Crossings #5 and #6 are considered the most problematic hotspots in District 9. Modifying existing structures, like this bridge, provide a cost-effecttive opportunity to lower barriers to wildlife movement.

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Wildlife Undercrossing

Crossings #5 and #6 are considered the most problematic hotspots in District 9. The fencing around the airport funnel wildlife to cross the road on either side, creating dangerous driving conditions for motorists.

What's Next?

Caltrans was able to fund the scoping phase to construct 6 crossings and install directional fencing. However, the Eastern Sierra Wildlife Stewardship Team has been unable to access funding to implement environmental, design, or construction phases. Though grant funds tend to be available for shovel-ready projects, funding to cover costs for preliminary environmental analyses and design is much more difficult to access, impeding these projects from moving forward.

The Eastern Sierra Wildlife Stewardship Team is applying for a Wildlife Conservation Board Prop. 68 Grant to raise funds needed to complete the environmental analysis for the first phase of the project, which would construct crossings for the most dangerous hotspot areas.

Dive Deeper

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A big thank you to the Eastern Sierra Wildlife Stewardship Team for working to lower critical barriers to wildlife movement.

Take me back to the  virtual map .

This storymap was produced by Wildlands Network.

Thank you CA Dep't of Fish & Wildlife & Caltrans District 9 for providing content for this story.