[5] Mazama pocket gophers are light brown to black in color, with adults ranging in size from 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) in length.

The Mazama pocket gopher’s distinctive features include pointed claws, long whiskers, and protruding chisel-like front teeth.

These comprised 40%, 32%, 4%, and 24% of their diet, respectively, by volume, per a study which examined the contents of the stomachs of 110 Mazama Pocket Gophers.

In this process, they transform the soil into a soft and sifted powder, in turn creating a unique, irregularly shaped mound with an off-center hole.

In this process, they transform the soil into a soft and sifted powder, in turn creating a unique, irregularly shaped mound with an off-center hole.

[1] The state of Washington has listed the Mazama pocket gopher and its subspecies found in the Puget Sound area as threatened.

The study made count of burrows and did not engage in trapping and marking to estimate the actual number of gophers present.

The population is also known to vary erratically, increasing dramatically after the mating season and declining as the year progresses due to predation.

In July 2013, Fox News ran a story about Fort Lewis's $3.5 million grant from the state of Washington to purchase 2,600 acres (1,100 ha) of land during a time when workers were on furlough.

[15] Prior to this story, the grant was described by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell as "...taking an important step in addressing one of the greatest threats to wildlife in America today, loss of habitat, while helping to ensure the preservation of working landscapes and our military readiness.

Damage mitigation can be done by installing a gopher fence, which has to be at least 6 inches (15 cm) above ground and go down to a depth of over 2 feet (0.61 m) or until bedrock or hardpan is struck.

[8] Forest management can effectively control Mazama Gophers by altering the vegetation to no longer support the species.