This 2025 State of the Basin Report (SOBR) was prepared by Roux Associates, Inc. (Roux) on behalf of the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) as part of a much larger effort that is being conducted between ABC, the Amargosa Conservancy (AC), California Botanical Garden,...
For Immediate Release, February 4, 2026 Contact: Mason Voehl, Amargosa Conservancy, (507) 830-0238, mason@amargosaconservancy.org Patrick Donnelly, Center for Biological Diversity, (702) 483-0449, pdonnelly@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Challenges Drilling...
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.
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: 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
In coming weeks, we expect the Bureau of Land Management to finalize the Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan (DRECP), in which the public lands of the Amargosa Basin are likely to be designated at California Desert Conservation Lands. To celebrate, we are highlighting the decade-long partnership between the Amargosa Conservancy and the BLM to engage in stewardship on these lands
Two of our major areas of work were featured in a series on climate change produced by the Desert Sun and distributed via USA Today!