Seed attacks erosion, but attracts deer
to state highways

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
Dec. 20, 2003
Deer and busy roadways generally don't mix.
And in East Mississippi, deer that dare to roam on the outskirts of bustling highways often bring the fast-moving traffic to a screeching halt sometimes in the form of collisions and traffic accidents.
In some cases, deer are drawn to the road. That's a dilemma engineers with the Mississippi Department of Transportation are forced to confront when building or improving state highways.
The problem: Once a road construction project is complete, MDOT workers cast crimson clover and fescue grass seed on the barren ground. They do this to spark vegetational growth in an effort to prevent erosion.
The counter-effect is that deer and other wildlife feed on the seed and vegetation and are enticed dangerously close to speeding traffic.
With colder weather for fall and winter months, officials say the problem tends to worsen because deer and other wildlife are often on the move.
And with MDOT workers recently completing tree removal projects along Interstate 20/59 near Meridian the most recent on I-59 from the Clarke County line to the I-20/59 split they leave behind exposed dirt that workers must sprinkle with the seed.
Maj. Ward Calhoun, a Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department spokesman, said he sees "a fairly large number of crashes, mainly one vehicle," in the fall and winter months because of deer.
Calhoun said motorists can limit their chances of colliding with a deer by driving slower during dusk and late afternoon hours.
Meanwhile, MDOT officials say they must continue spreading the seed near roadways. One of the services MDOT performs and oversees is the maintenance and safety of state and federal highways and the surrounding right-of-way.
Wallace said erosion control is one MDOT's top priorities in road construction and improvement projects.