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Work crew in the Amargosa Basin
Amargosa Conservancy seeks qualified individuals for a full-time Restoration and Plant Stewardship Coordinator position
Amargosa Conservancy is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with over 1,900 members and supporters based in Shoshone, California and has been the leading voice for the conservation of the Amargosa River watershed for almost two decades. The Amargosa Conservancy is...
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...
New Board Member: Louise Mathias
Amargosa Conservancy is pleased to introduce you to the newest member of our Board of Directors, Louise Mathias. Louise is a 15-year resident of the Mojave Desert, whose interest in and passion for the delicate ecosystem of the Amargosa Basin began in 2014, when she...
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...
Extremophilia: Introducing AC Staff Scott H Williams
by Scott H Williams As an environmental scientist, I wonder at times whether the detached, data-driven approach to the scientific study of the natural world inevitably alienates us from having a deep spiritual appreciation for nature. Does quantitatively analyzing 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...
2024 SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES
Amargosa Conservancy is pleased to announce our 2024 Summer Speaker Series! This third offering of our virtual Summer Speaker Series will feature dedicated employees from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These...
A Brief Geologic Tour of the Amargosa Basin, by AC Board Member Bill Neill
A Brief Geologic Tour of the Amargosa Basin By Amargosa Conservancy board member and secretary, Bill Neill ORIGIN OF PALEOZOIC CARBONATE STRATA THAT ALLOWS LONG-DISTANCE GROUNDWATER FLOW By definition, desert areas have little rainfall and natural water sources such...
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...
ACTION ALERT: BLM meeting in Las Vegas on the future of solar energy in the West, including the Amargosa River watershed
Tuesday, February 13th 5:00pm-7:00pm PST Red Rock Casino, Summerlin Room CD 11011 West Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV We are writing to alert you about a planning process currently being undertaken by BLM which could have a significant impact on the future of the...
“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...
Desert Magic
by Taylor Patterson Tribal Affairs Consultant to the Amargosa Conservancy The desert has always represented magic to me. I would sit wide-eyed while my mom regaled tales of dragonflies at the Shoshone pool and hikes in the Kingston Range. I would daydream about what...
Executive Director’s Report: An Eddy of Reflection
by Mason Voehl The older I get, the more interested I seem to become in the flow of time and how we mark it. Perhaps as a result of my particular occupation, I have come to see time very much as I do a river: as a fluid body in motion. In this modern era where our...
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: TRAIL STEWARDSHIP EVENT, FALL 2023
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/