Save Ash Meadows

Ash Meadows is an amazing wildlife preserve that’s between us here in Vegas and Death Valley. It’s a wetlands, where the pools are filled with crystal clear water that’s up to 3 million years old! There are plants and animals there that not only don’t live anywhere else in NV, they don’t live anywhere else in the entire world. The famous pupfish — this is right next to Devil’s Hole, which is also super fascinating — but also snails, insects, and vegetation that exist only in this one beautiful spot out in the middle of the huge, super hot Mojave desert.

It’s like nowhere else in the state. I’ve lived here since the early 2000s and the first time I went to Ash Meadows, I knew it would be my favorite place in Nevada — and it has been ever since. If you haven’t gone, you should!!

Last year, a mining company (Rover Minerals) dropped surprise plans to drill literally right next to Ash Meadows. A lawsuit was filed to stop them — and it did, for a while. But then in December, the company doubled down & released new plans and now they plan to drill less than half a mile away from the edge of the wetlands. Less than a 10 minute walk away.

If they find lithium, which they say they will, they’re planning to use 6000 acres for a mining operation — RIGHT next to these fragile wetlands, the only ones like them in the world.

They say this won’t damage the wetlands. It will. I say, and I think anyone who is paying any kind of attention knows, that drilling — much less an actual mine — that close to this fragile habitat will destroy it. And once it’s gone, we can’t bring it back.

I love this place, it’s super close to my heart and I find the idea that it could be totally lost forever because of careless mining to be heartbreaking. So I am doing whatever I can think of to do to help stop it.

I am sorry if you’ve seen me post about this on other Vegas or NV subs before recently. I am really trying to get eyes on this issue. Here is an article about the situation if you want to learn more:

https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/04/01/can-locals-save-ash-meadows/

But most importantly, here is a link to the Armagosa Conservancy who is fighting the mining company & asking the Dept of the Interior/Congress to stop the mining at Ash Meadows. There is a form here you can send to ask the government to stop and a place to donate.

https://www.amargosaconservancy.org/saveashmeadows/

I’m not affiliated with this group, I just don’t want to see Ash Meadows destroyed and want to help.

Thank you for reading all of that!! I appreciate your time. Please sign if you can!