Snapshots of the Lower Carson Slough
Author Josh Jackson’s The Enduring Wild invites readers to explore California’s forgotten BLM lands, including the Amargosa River—revealing their beauty, fragility, and urgent need for protection.
From our AC News Blog:
Advocacy
An Amargosa Appearance: On Josh Jackson’s The Enduring Wild
Author Josh Jackson’s The Enduring Wild invites readers to explore California’s forgotten BLM lands, including the Amargosa River—revealing their beauty, fragility, and urgent need for protection.
Ash Meadows Threatened Once Again: What’s at Stake with the St. Cloud Mining Project Approval
By Mason Voehl Campaigns Director Amargosa Conservancy Over the past few years, the communities of the Amargosa Basin could not have made themselves any clearer: we will not abide by predatory extraction projects that put Ash Meadows at risk in the name of profit. And...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Local Communities and Tribal Members Secure Win to Protect Ash Meadows and Amargosa Valley
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 14, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT: Mason Voehl, mason@amargosaconservancy.org, (507) 830-0238 Local Communities and Tribal Members Secure Win to Protect Ash Meadows and Amargosa Valley A Critical First Step to Safeguard Sacred Lands and Water...
The Amargosa as Borderlands
By Scott H. Williams I am a Californian. In a lot of places that is a dirty word, not least of all in Nevada. I reside in Tecopa, California now, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles and grew up in rural Northern California. Through my work in the Amargosa region and time...
California Wildlife Conservation Board Awards Amargosa Restoration Projects
By Mason Voehl, Executive Director In a remarkable year for the Amargosa River and Basin, the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has awarded two critical grants to support the resilience and biodiversity of this unique desert ecosystem. These grants, one...
Hanging in the air: Meditations on an aerial journey over the Amargosa River
By Mason Voehl, Executive Director, Amargosa Conservancy On a clear and windless October morning, I climbed aboard a Cessna 210 plane alongside Tribal and rural community leaders, journalists, land managers, and fellow advocates to experience something...
Pomona College Students Introduced to Conservation in the Amargosa
It's a calm day at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. A class of undergraduates from Pomona College has gathered at the Crystal Springs boardwalk to hear hydrologist Andy Zdon introduce his tour of the hydrogeology of the Amargosa River Watershed. Zdon has been...
Threats to Groundwater from Open-pit Mining in the Amargosa
Amargosa toad. US Fish and Wildlife photo. By Patrick Donnelly North Bullfrog Mine is the first of a half dozen or so gold mines which are under exploration or permitting near the Amargosa River in Beatty, Nevada. North Bullfrog is owned by AngloGold Ashanti, one of...
The BLM’s New Public Lands Rule: New or More of the Same?
By John Hiatt In June of this year the Bureau of Land Management’s “Public Lands Rule”, also known as the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule was finalized, although the procedures and guidance on implementation are still a work in progress. The rule...
Putting an Oil Derrick on the Sun: Claire Vaye Watkins reflects on extractive, industrial solar in the Amargosa
Claire Vaye Watkins reading to the protest campout at the Yellow Pine solar construction project in Clark County, Nevada. Photo used with permission from Shannon Salter, 2021. mojavegreen.org It’s a beautiful day on the Amargosa River. The heat is predicted to...
SOLAR ENERGY IN THE AMARGOSA RIVER WATERSHED
ACTION ALERT VIRTUAL TOWN HALL on SOLAR in the AMARGOSA RIVER WATERSHED 6PM WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18TH Join Amargosa Conservancy staff and board members for a virtual town hall to learn about the Bureau of Land Management's new plan for solar siting and development in the...
Introducing Our Partner in Advocacy: Indigenous Voices of Nevada
by Mathilda Guerrero Indigenous Voices of Nevada The Amargosa Conservancy’s fight for a mineral withdrawal in the ecologically sensitive Amargosa Basin stands as a testament to the power of Indigenous leadership and the amplification of Indigenous voices. This...
Executive Director’s Report: Amargosa Desert, a Collision Zone
Folks, it doesn't feel like hyberbole to proclaim that our quiet little river is in a state of uproar. Believe me: I wish it wasn't so. The phrase I keep turning over in my mind to describe the Amargosa River watershed right now, and especially the Amargosa Desert...
A new era of Nevada groundwater management has begun. Here’s what it could mean for the Amargosa River.
Special report from Patrick Donnelly Amargosa Conservancy Vice-President Great Basin director, Center for Biological Diversity A new era of Nevada groundwater management has begun. Here’s what it could mean for the Amargosa River. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in...
“What is a mineral withdrawal?” Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what a mineral withdrawal is, or why one is needed for lands surrounding Ash Meadows? This FAQ is for YOU! Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Mineral Withdrawal under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) “What is a mineral withdrawal?” Under mining law,...
Champions of Science: USGS Publishes AC-Funded Study of Evapotranspiration in the Amargosa Basin
Science is and always will be a pillar of of the work our organization does to protect the Amargosa Basin. For the last 20 years, Amargosa Conservancy has worked alongside local governments, state and federal agencies, non-profit partners, and researchers to develop...
Action Alert: Save Ash Meadows
JOIN THE FIGHT TO SAVE ASH MEADOWS! Letter will be sent as follows: Dear Secretary Haaland and Director Stone-Manning, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most critical and vibrant biodiversity hotspots in the United States, is under threat. Ash Meadows...
PRESS RELEASE: Nye County Sends Letter Opposing Mining Activities Near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
For Immediate Release: January 3rd, 2024 Contact: Mason Voehl, Amargosa Conservancy, (702)900-7589, mason@amargosaconservancy.org Nye County Sends Letter Opposing Mining Activities Near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge PAHRUMP, NV. – The Nye County Board of...
Executive Director’s Report: Here come the storms
Storms are blowing into the Amargosa Basin. Some are bringing water to the land, and others are seeking to take it away. A hurricane in the desert After one of the wettest winters in recent memory in parts of California, all hands were on deck bracing for Hurricane...
Amargosa Hydrology: Springs and Current Conditions, by Andy Zdon
Miss out on our 2023 Summer Seminar on Amargosa Hydrology? Watch the recording of Andy Zdon's presentation on the fascinating science and stories of the Amargosa Basin's springs: Love springs, and love the work we're doing to protect them in the Amargosa Basin? Become...
Executive Director’s Report: Exploratory Mining Officially Halted on the Doorstep of Ash Meadows
Folks, I don’t think I have to tell you that these last few weeks have been confusing and chaotic. I first want to thank everyone for being patient with our deluge of communications lately. We strive to send monthly newsletters with relevant updates, but lately the...
SAVE ASH MEADOWS while rockin’ a sweet shirt!
Do you love Ash Meadows? Do you wear shirts? Do you want to help us save Ash Meadows from exploratory mining on its doorsteps? We have just the thing! Support the Amargosa Conservancy's campaign to save Ash Meadows from exploratory drilling by purchasing one of our...
Letter to Leadership: SAVE ASH MEADOWS
On Thursday, July 6th, 2023, the Amargosa Conservancy submitted the following letter signed by 20 local, regional, and national environmental organizations to senior leadership within the Department of Interior: Request for Consultation, Public Scoping and...
Save Ash Meadows Petition
Follow this link to sign our petition to save Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from exploratory lithium mining: https://www.amargosaconservancy.org/saveashmeadows/
I asked ChatGPT to write a blog post about the Amargosa River. Here’s what happened.
by Mason Voehl Executive Director Artificial intelligence's moment has been long in coming, and now it's arrived. Testing the capacities of novel AI engines such as ChatGPT to "outsource" what has long been thought to be the strictly human activity of writing has been...
A Slow Walk On A Long River
by Josh Jackson If I were to tell you I was going to visit a “wild and scenic river,” what kind of images would that conjure up for you? Perhaps a raging rapids of white water careening through large boulders? Or how about a meandering tributary with deep pools and a...
Executive Director’s Report: The Ephemerality of Laughter
by Mason Voehl, executive director Where are these men? Asleep beneath their grounds: And strangers, fond as they, their furrows plough. Earth laughs in flowers, to see her boastful boys Earth-proud, proud of the earth which is not theirs; Who steer the plough, but...
Executive Director’s Report: With a little help from our friends
The story of conservation in the Amargosa Basin has been largely written with the ink of collaboration. Looking back over the 19 year history of our organization, virtually every success we can claim has come from investments in partnerships. When the Amargosa vole...
Executive Director’s Report: The Deep Value of our Remaining Wetlands
by Mason Voehl Executive Director Questions of values are the hardest to answer. I was asked recently to put together a brief presentation describing the key features, resources, and values of the Amargosa Basin. There is a straightforward approach to crafting such a...
What is a “Solar PEIS,” and what does it mean for the future of the Amargosa Basin?
Caption: Palen Solar Project in Riverside, CA; determined as suitable under the DRECP by Chris Clarke Amargosa Conservancy Board Member Ruth Hammett Associate Director, California Desert Program National Parks Conservation Association In December 2022, the Us...
Executive Director’s Reflection: The Road Ahead
Amargosa Conservancy Board of Directors, 2023 Effective conservation work takes vision. And vision takes people. Last weekend, January 21-22nd, the Amargosa Conservancy board of directors and staff met in Shoshone, CA for two days of intensive visioning and action...
Executive Director’s Reflection: Snowflakes and Springs
Saratoga Springs, Death Valley National Park: photo by Naomi Fraga by Mason Voehl, executive director Standing in the driveway of my home in Las Vegas, I watch cold clouds drag their snow-laden bellies across the high peaks of the Spring Mountains for the first time...
Mountain snowpack: A lifeline to the Amargosa
By AC Member Laura Dye A considerable body of scientific work highlights how climate change alters our landscapes. And while it is important to note the changes within the bounds of the Amargosa River Basin itself – warming temperatures, shifts in vegetation...
Fishes of the Amargosa Basin
By Patrick Donnelly Vice President, Amargosa Conservancy Great Basin Director, Center for Biological Diversity Before the Amargosa Basin was the hottest, driest place in North America, it was relatively moist. Abundant precipitation during the Pleistocene (as recently...
Celebrating the Antiquities Act has never been more important.
On June 8th, our nation will observe the 116th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, and there has never been a more important time to celebrate this historic preservation policy and support its current use. When Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law in...
The drought is real in the Amargosa Basin. Here’s how we’re responding.
Spring is a time of rejuvenation in the Amargosa Basin. As the days begin to warm, the dense mesquite-willow groves of the Amargosa wetlands begin to green up, and a dozen different bird songs fill the air. Creosote on the bajadas blooms bright and golden against the...
Executive Director’s Report: How the AC is supporting a scientific approach to water policy
While peering out the window of a single-engine Cessna 210 propellor plane on an Ecoflight over the northern Amargosa Basin, I had two thoughts simultaneously: This river is incredibly beautiful. This river is incredibly vulnerable. The Amargosa River faces threats at...
Ecoflight Illustrates the Majesty and Precarity of the Northern Amargosa Basin
Early in the morning on Saturday, March 12th, individuals working and living in the Amargosa Basin and Death Valley region met at Calvada Meadows Airport near Pahrump, NV. The morning shown bright and windless: ideal conditions for flying in a single-engine Cessna 210...
2020 Amargosa State of the Basin Report
This 2020 State of the Basin Report (SOBR) was prepared by Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. (Partner) on behalf of the Amargosa Conservancy (AC) as part of a much larger effort that is being conducted between AC, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), U.S. Bureau of Land...
Partners and Volunteers Band Together to Improve Signage at China Ranch Trailhead
AC Board Member John Hiatt wipes freshly poured concrete off of the posts of the new trailhead sign at China Ranch. On January 15th, AC volunteers and Brian Brown from China Ranch Date Farm joined together to install a brand new trailhead sign at the China Ranch...
The Land and Water Conservation Fund
One of the most important public parks programs — the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) — is getting closer to its expiration date on September 30. Join us in demanding a vote on legislation to permanently reauthorize LWCF before the September expiration deadline.
Pining about large scale solar: Why the Yellow Pine Project will leave us with broken hearts
Just over the mountains from Tecopa, in the Lower Pahrump Valley, there is a plan to install a 3000 acre solar array in otherwise untouched, old growth desert – an area featuring desert tortoise and Joshua Trees.
Notice: Defend the DRECP!
The DRECP is a land use plan designed to allow renewable energy development on least conflict public lands, and balance that with conservation and recreation on public land – uses that are critically important to Desert communities and their economies.
Action Alert: Defend the DRECP!
The Trump Administration has set the DRECP (Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan) as its latest target – undermining the public process, eight years of collaboration and compromise, and threatening our public lands.
Back on the Tracks
After a few hectic weeks, the Amargosa Conservancy interns are getting back to their normal routine.
The Great Old Broads Visit for a “Broadwork”
The Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a national organization that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands. Their mission statement says that they bring knowledge, commitment, and humor to the movement to protect our last wild places on earth, and boy- they did not disappoint.
Afton Canyon Conservation Campout
Staff from the Amargosa Conservancy, BLM, Sierra Club, and Leave No Trace completed final preparations for the arrival of the campers. Joining us in this camp were the Junior Rangers, conservationists in training from Barstow, ranging from ages 8-13 and Two family groups representing the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM)
Describing the Kingston – Amargosa Region
an excerpt from the DRECP Record of Decision – Appendix A – regarding the Amargosa
Out and About in Afton Canyon
In partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation, the Amargosa Conservancy has been leading trips to Afton Canyon to provide information and access to the beautiful lands that belong to all citizens of United States.