Reintroducing: The Amargosa Conservancy

With new leadership and a reinvigorated board of directors, the Amargosa Conservancy is proud to reintroduce itself to the Pahrump community.

The Amargosa Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based just over the state line from Pahrump in Shoshone, Calif. Its mission is to work toward a sustainable future for the Amargosa Basin through science, stewardship and advocacy.

The Amargosa River flows from the mountains north of Beatty and winds a southerly course through the Mojave Desert to its final resting place of Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park.

While the river spends most of its journey underground, portions of the river flow on the surface year-round. Where the river flows, life thrives. The heart of the river is a 33.8-mile stretch near Shoshone and Tecopa, that our organization helped designate as the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River in 2009. Pahrump is an excellent gateway to this portion of the river via the Old Spanish Trail, a historic route that once connected Santa Fe to Los Angeles passing through the Amargosa Basin.

Since its inception, the Amargosa Conservancy has striven to serve the desert communities in and around the Amargosa Basin by preserving the unique and wild character of this landscape. From fish to birds to wildflowers, the Amargosa River provides water and habitat for some of the most rare and beautiful species in the world.

Visitors come to the area to view wildlife, hike the trails, soak in the hot spring pools, learn about the indigenous and pioneer histories, and spend nights beneath a dark sky filled with stars. Our organization works closely with private landowners and land managers from the Bureau of Land Management, Death Valley National Park and other state and federal agencies to ensure that these public lands remain pristine and accessible for generations to come.

We are thrilled to see the Death Valley and Amargosa region are attracting more visitors to the desert. This increased interest in the desert will bring more opportunities for Pahrump and other communities to provide lodging, entertainment and services to these visitors. But with an increasing presence of people recreating and exploring, we believe our work of preserving the land, water, plants, animals and communities that make this landscape so uniquely beautiful is more important than ever. Through supporting hydrological research and engaging with local businesses and concerned citizens, we ensure that policy makers and agencies have the information and input necessary to make the best possible decisions for how to manage our public lands.

We are an organization made of people who love the Amargosa. Our board is a varied lot which includes old desert hands who’ve been caring for the area for decades including BLM retirees and scientists, and fresh faces who bring new perspectives on conservation including an OHV enthusiast and a hunting enthusiast. Our new executive director, Mason Voehl, is a writer and philosopher who comes to us from the educational technology space. As folks in Pahrump know, it takes an eclectic personality to thrive in the desert. The creative and unique people who make up our organization are dedicated to protecting this desert.

We invite you to learn more about our organization and our mission by visiting www.amargosaconservancy.org and by following us on social media.

You can also contact us with questions about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities by emailing us at info@amargosaconservancy.org.