MONDAY, August 10, 2026|
Photo – Goats – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Saratoga is unable to permit a local business owner to use goats to clear brush along the riverbank.
During the August 5th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mayor Chuck Davis announced that Jeff Talus, owner of the Sierra Madre Trout Club on the corner of North River Street and East Main Avenue, had asked for approval to use goats to remove vegetation along the bank of the North Platte River adjacent to this property.
Mayor Davis said he told Talus that any decision requires a Town Council vote. However, after researching the matter, the mayor said he learned the town doesn’t own the land and therefore cannot approve the business owner’s request.
Mayor Davis said he didn’t know who owned that section of the riverbank. Public Works Director Emery Penner noted that the town requires authorization from the United States Army Corps of Engineers before performing any work on the banks of the North Platte River.
Mayor Davis recommended that Talus contact the Army Corps of Engineers. He added that even with federal approval, the business owner must still follow the town’s livestock ordinances.
Regardless of the Corps’ decision, Mayor Davis said livestock grazing is prohibited within town limits. He said making an exception for this request may open the door to others wanting the same accommodations.
Mayor Davis said since the riverbank isn’t owned by the town, the Council didn’t need to make a formal decision about the goats. The mayor said he would let Jeff Talus know to contact the Army Corps of Engineers and remind him of the town’s livestock‑grazing rules the following day.
