Arizona Game and Fish helps to keep wildlife hydrated during summer months

Scorching temperatures continue to dry out the water supply for Arizona's wildlife, so the Arizona Game and Fish Department sets up and fills watering holes for animals to help them get through the hot summer months. FOX 10's Carmen Blackwell reports.

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - Scorching temperatures continue to dry out the water supply for Arizona's wildlife, so the Arizona Game and Fish Department sets up and fills watering holes for animals to help them get through the hot summer months.

"It's usually self-sustaining, but it's been so dry so long that we're having to supplement with water for the wildlife," Joseph Currie said.

Trucking hundreds of gallons of water, Arizona Game and Fish makes a stop at water drops like this one, just west of Lake Pleasant.

It's a bumpy ride, but they know the animals will appreciate it.

"We take it out here, we dump it on this precipitation apron and then it drops down in the tanks that are underneath and sealed so it can't get evaporation," Currie said.

The troughs are seen not too far off the side nearby, so animals can come as they please and get however much water they need.

"There's up to 800 species of wildlife that could use that that we manage," Currie said.

Since the need for water has increased over the years, Arizona Game and Fish has expanded their water drops. Now, thousands of gallons of water are dropped off to the 3,000 wildlife water catchments throughout the state.

Arizona Game and Fish says these water drops are just another way of conserving and protecting Arizona's wildlife.

For more information about how the Arizona Game and Fish Department conserves and protects the state’s wildlife or to make a donation to the Water for Wildlife campaign, visit www.azwildlifehero.com, or use your smart device to text SENDWATER to 41444.