Boardwalk damaged by flash flooding reopens at Death Valley National Park
A boardwalk that provides easy access to view Salt Creek Pupfish has reopened at Death Valley National Park, 3½ years after it was destroyed by flooding.
A flash flood in August 2022 destroyed the Salt Creek Boardwalk, interpretive signs and a vault toilet, the National Park Service said in a news release last week. The parking lot and road were further damaged during the remnants of Hurricane Hilary in August 2023.
The Salt Creek recovery project rebuilt the boardwalk, improved the parking area and trailhead, installed new vault toilets, performed flood cleanup and debris removal, and added signage.
The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration designed the replacement facilities to be flood-resistant, the news release said. For example, some of the boardwalk footings are up 20 feet deep. The parking area facility is armored to protect the facility during future high-water events.
Five pupfish species or subspecies live in Death Valley National Park. Their ancestors lived in large freshwater lakes. As Lake Manly dried up at the end of the last Ice Age, the Salt Creek Pupfish found themselves in a short creek that is sometimes saltier than the ocean. Male pupfish are known for their spirited courtship displays, defending their territories to attract females.
Interpretive signs describing the fish’s ecology and history will be installed in a few months.
Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on X.
