Many caves have been damaged and the unique inhabitants disturbed by trespassers or others entering the caves. Cave gates are a form of access control. When this level of protection becomes needed to preserve the cave’s natural environment, or the habitat of unique creatures within, the cave’s study will provide the parameter requirements for the correct and appropriate gate design. The construction and installation of quality cave gates is as much an art as it is a science. Each gate is custom designed specifically for the cave to be gated. Large mammal and bat access are additional considerations taken into account during design.

Mike Warton, the leading expert in this field, leads all aci environmental consulting gating projects. Mike has 40 years of experience and has installed more than 500 gates across the Texas Hill Country. Mike’s gates are sup- ported by more than 20 years of scientific monitoring, and his gates serve as a primary factor in the protection and preservation of point recharge groundwater, cave formations, and endangered karst invertebrate species habitat.

Mike’s custom cave gate designs are promoted by TCEQ (RG-348) and used in numerous USFWS permitted projects.