Office of Planning, Environment, & Realty (HEP)
Planning • Environment • Real Estate
When the Neosho River began to cut into the roadbed of State Highway 80 north of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Transportation workers realigned the road, stabilized the riverbank, and installed three riverside perch poles for the region's bald eagles. They placed the poles about 1,000 feet apart - ideal separations for a "loner" species like the bald eagle. To make the perches appealing to the birds and long-lasting, the DOT crews made bundles of Osage Orange branches and clamped them onto the tops of telephone poles. The rot-resistant Osage Orange is known habitat for bald eagles and its bark becomes so hard over time even a nail can't penetrate it. Bald eagles have been using the sturdy new perches ever since they were installed.
--Apr 25, 2003
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| Photo by Russell Perkins, Oklahoma Department of Transportation |
| Eagle perches along the Neosho River |
