Once Again, Water is the Issue by Mason Voehl, Executive Director of the Amargosa Consevancy Peering down out of the window of a Cessna 210 airplane humming across the northern Amargosa River watershed, two things become obvious: this landscape is extremely important, and the future of this landscape is in serious jeopardy. Ash Meadows seen … Continue reading A Crisis at Ash Meadows
Lithium Mining in the Desert
A Threat to Land, Air, and Water by Jared Naimark Readers of the Desert Report know better than most the unparalleled beauty of desert landscapes. The desert is also full of complex, life-giving relationships that sustain communities and our planet, from tiny fungi storing carbon deep below, to trickling spring-sheds bristling with endemic plants and … Continue reading Lithium Mining in the Desert
Drive Like a Tortoise
Road Tripping in Mojave National Preserve by Superintendent Mike Gauthier and Deputy Superintendent Debra Hughson Roads in Mojave National Preserve provide convenient routes between Palm Springs, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as between Interstates 40 and 15. They travel through some breathtaking landscapes which are popular for many travelers. The Preserve provides a … Continue reading Drive Like a Tortoise
Large Scale Solar on Public Lands
A New BLM Rule Affecting Development by Kevin Emmerich, Cofounder of Basin & Range Watch The vast Amargosa Desert by Death Valley National Park has remained mostly unchanged for the 32 years I have lived in the region. It lies mostly in Nevada, includes unique wetlands at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Devil's Hole, … Continue reading Large Scale Solar on Public Lands
New Conservation Rule for BLM Administered Lands
Questions Remain but Response is Largely Positive by Clayton Daughenbaugh The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage the public lands under its charge "on the basis of multiple use and sustained yield" and to do so "in a manner that - among other things - … Continue reading New Conservation Rule for BLM Administered Lands
Ice Age Fossils in the Nevada Desert
Threatened by Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects by Laura Cunningham, Basin & Range Watch Clark County, Nevada - Two proposed large-scale energy projects could significantly damage Ice Age fossils on public lands in southern Nevada. Both the Greenlink West Transmission Project and Golden Currant Solar Project would be built on significant Pleistocene fossil beds representing a … Continue reading Ice Age Fossils in the Nevada Desert
Harvesting Desert Groundwater
Cadiz Inc. Tries Again by Chris Clarke, NPCA When you think of possible new sources of water for a thirsty California, it's unlikely the Mojave Desert would be the first source to come to mind. The Mojave is famously the driest place in the United States. Bagdad California, a former stop on Route 66 about … Continue reading Harvesting Desert Groundwater
Whose Water Is It?
A Proposed Limit on Water Bottler's Claim in the San Bernardino National Forest by Ileene Anderson California State Water Board May Soon Act to Limit BlueTriton Brands Siphoning of Water from Springs in the Strawberry Creek Watershed in the San Bernardino National Forest for Bottling Water is essential to life. In California, where overtaxed water … Continue reading Whose Water Is It?
September 2023 – Latest Issue
In This Issue • Drive Like A Tortoise • A Crisis At Ash Meadows • Ice Age Fossils In The Nevada Desert • Harvesting Desert Groundwater • Lithium Mining In The Desert • Large Scale Solar On Public Lands • A New Conservation Rule For BLM Administered Lands • Whose Water Is It? Water Bottler's … Continue reading September 2023 – Latest Issue
Permanently Protecting an ‘Island in the Sky’
Conglomerate Mesa Is Still in Dispute by Kayla Browne, Conglomerate Mesa Coalition Campaign Manager Over the last year, the Conglomerate Mesa Coalition1 has been hard at work protecting the Mesa. In the lull between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for K2 Gold's expanded exploration project and the … Continue reading Permanently Protecting an ‘Island in the Sky’