Staff at Point Reyes National Seashore released this photo of McClure's Creek, taken on August 19, 2020, to assure the public that the seashore's elk had sufficient water/NPS

Concerns that Tule elk at Point Reyes National Seashore don't have enough water for survival prompted a letter Monday to the seashore's acting superintendent, the National Park Service's acting director, and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt asking that they ensure the elk don't die from thirst.

"...there is evidence that the majority of the limited water sources upon which these fenced elk depend have already become dry or may become dry in the immediate future due to drought," reads a letter sent to those officials by the director of the Animal Law & Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School.

"It appears that at least six elk have recently died on Tomales Point, of unknown causes but under similar drought conditions to 2012-2014," Katherine A. Meyer continued. "The last time the Tomales Point elk were faced with this kind of dire situation—during the drought of 2012-2014—nearly half (more than 250 of the 540 elk) of the Tomales Point elk population died from a lack of water, and their inability to migrate to find water due to the elk fence which the Park Service maintains."

In her letter (attached below), Meyer claimed that water resources for the seashore's four Tule elk herds were growing dire:

• The South Herd: The two ponds normally used by this herd—South Pond I and South Pond II—are completely dry and have been for a while. 
• The North Herd: Of the two ponds normally available to the elk, North Pond I is now completely dry; North Pond II has some water, but it is way below capacity. 
• The Plateau Herd: of the two ponds normally available to this herd, Central Pond I is already completely dry; Central Pond II is very close to dry. 
• The White Gulch Herd: There do not appear to be any ponds available to this herd, and it is not currently ascertainable whether the seep normally used by this herd (that drains toward the Tomales Bay) is running.

Elk tracks near a seep at Point Reyes National Seashore/NPS

At Point Reyes, staff recently created a detailed "Frequently Asked Questions" page specific to the elk herd, and used words and photos taken in mid-August to assure the public that the elk currently have adequate water even though some manmade stock ponds have gone dry.

"Brown grass and a dry pond near the road above Pierce Ranch might give you the impression that Tule elk can't get enough water during California's dry season. But looks can be deceiving," reads one section. "Tucked in the rushes just behind this dry pond, the spring feeding the pond has standing pools of water with fresh elk tracks. A few hundred yards from there, another seep down in the willows has water oozing out of the ground. A wildlife camera shows tule elk and other animals drinking there regularly. The creek down to McClure’s Beach is flowing well ... If you hike three miles out on the Tomales Point trail, you'll see a large pond with plenty of water for the Tule elk herd in that area."

Meyer also stated in her letter that a fence prevents the elk from migrating to additional water sources.

"The fence prevents Tomales Point elk from gaining access to forage and water used by livestock owners who lease adjacent public land in the national seashore for their cattle," she wrote. "Thus, although the cattle have access to water sources south of this fence, the Tule elk—who, unlike the cattle, are required by federal law to be 'conserved' —are denied such access by the National Park Service. This conflicts with the statutory mandate to conserve the elk."

But park staff said they haven't seen elk congregating along the three-mile-long fence, and don't plan to remove it, a point made in the 1998 Tule Elk Management Plan and Environmental Assessment.

"Elk tend to closely remain within their home ranges, and we observed elk distributed across Tomales Point in the usual places during our surveys, indicating that the elk had the necessary resources (forage and water) needed within their occupied areas," the FAQ page said. "We have no evidence of elk trying to leave Tomales Point in search of water."

In a press released issued last week, acting Point Reyes Superintendent Carey Feierabend said her staff was closely monitoring the elk herds.

"Park staff are making regular field observations and using wildlife cameras to ensure the herd has access to water sources," she said. "If needed, we will provide water to the elk in the southern portion of the reserve."

Supplemental water would be provided "by placing a trough in a location where the elk are already accustomed to finding water. Providing water in a trough is preferred over adding water to any dry ponds that occur within the reserve, partly because most added water would just drain into the dry soil initially," reads one section of the FAQ page.

At the Center for Biological Diversity, which was in support of Meyer's letter, Senior Conservation Advocate Jeff Miller told the Traveler they were still worried about the elk herds, despite the Park Service's assurances that they wouldn't go without water.

"We still have concerns about the low water levels, given that we have 2-3 more months of the dry season," he said.

Each fall the seashore staff performs a census on the park's elk population. Last fall the tally was 445 individuals, near the high end for the average population (300-500) noted from 1998 to the present, according to the seashore's records.