County to California – no exploratory drilling near Ash Meadows
Nye County has already made clear its position against exploratory mining activities in or around Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, as have several other entities and plenty of area residents, leading to the U.S. Dept. of Interior initiating a mineral entry withdrawal prohibiting new mining exploration earlier this year. That doesn’t mean the concerns have melted away, however, as St. Cloud Mining is aiming to uncover mineral resources just three miles west of the refuge and over the border in Inyo County, California.
This month, Nye County has reiterated its stance on the issue with a letter directed to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) California State Office.
“This letter is reconfirming the board’s position on water impacts to the refuge from mining operations or exploration, especially downstream from the refuge, which is the case for this particular situation,” Nye County Natural Resources Office Director Megan Labadie told Nye County commissioners at the board’s Sept. 3 meeting. “There have been mining exploration opportunities and applications for California on the other side of the border but very close to Ash Meadows refuge… The concern is that there would be water drawdown should mining operations occur at the refuge as a result of the exploration.”
In the letter, Labadie details Ash Meadows’ significance as a highly unique environment with a host of plants and animals that depend on its waters.
“The refuge, located in the Amargosa Desert of Southern Nevada, encompasses the largest remaining network of desert springs in North America. These springs are sustained by the Amargosa River system, where groundwater generally flows south and west into California. This region is internationally recognized as an ecological hotspot, providing critical habitat for more than 26 endemic species,” the county’s letter states.
As detailed on the Ash Meadows refuge website, this is the highest concentration of endemic species – meaning only found in a specific location - in the entire United States. Included in its populations are four endangered fish species, eight threatened or endangered plant species and a diverse habitat of dune fields, alkali seeps and groves of mesquite and ash trees, of which draw their life from, “spring systems fed by fossil water that originated from the last ice age.” Perhaps most famed among Ash Meadow’s endemic species are the speckled dace and Amargosa pupfish, along with the Devil’s Hole pupfish, “… a species so sensitive to groundwater drawdown that its protection was upheld in Cappaert v. United States (1976),” the county’s letter reads.
But it wasn’t all about the flora and fauna that rely on the waters that flow through Ash Meadows, with commissioner Bruce Jabbour homing in on the human aspect as well.
“Without this water, it would be a catastrophe, especially for our neighbors, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe,” Jabbour asserted, referring to the Native American tribe located in south central California, near the Nevada border. “The situation at hand is for us to first and foremost be the voices for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe… there are about 500 members on that reservation who will be impacted and absolutely affected by the water draw in this basin.”
Jabbour, who represents the Amargosa Valley, also made sure to emphasize that the matter is in the hands of California officials. The letter was intended to solidify support from the Nevada State BLM for the county’s position, giving it more weight.
Commissioner Debra Strickland made the motion to approve the letter as written. Jabbour offered a second and the motion carried unanimously.
To read to letter in full visit NyeCountyNV.gov and click on “Meeting Center”. The letter is included with item #13 of the commission’s Sept. 3 meeting agenda.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
