PENDLETON — An annual spring tradition is set to return to the Pendleton levee system and river parkway.

For the 10th year, as many as 700 goats will be herded throughout the riparian area by the Umatilla River to graze on riverside vegetation, clearing away potentially flammable brush in the process, according to a press release from the public works department.

According to the press release, the goats are in town on another city-owned property and will be moved to the levee either this week or next week. 

The goats will start at the upriver end of the levee at the end of Southeast Byers Avenue near the Ken Melton Little League Park. They will work their way from the east end of the levee through town and make a second pass before leaving town, the release said. The goats are typically on the levee for four to six weeks.

The goats will be penned in by an electric fence and guided by trained dogs or goatherds. Pedestrians with dogs are urged to keep their pets leashed and under control.