Ash Meadows, Nevada

Ash Meadows, Nevada has a higher number of endemic species for its given area than any other place in the United States (Deacon and Williams 1991). This is primarily due to the presence of around fifty permanent freshwater springs that allow life to flourish in the desert. Ash Meadows was also the site of one of the longest environmental battles in North America (1967-1984). For a considerable time the area was threatened by ranchers who diverted spring outflows and pumped excessive quantities of groundwater for irrigation, threatening the continued existence of the springs. The next principal impact was a proposed desert city that would have also required large quantities of groundwater (Deacon and Williams 1991). As a combined result of these impacts one fish species is extinct, and the remainder are currently listed as Endangered species by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Soltz and Naiman 1978). Today the area is a National Wildlife Refuge and despite it's current protective status problems still regularly occur, i.e. exotic fish species are still regularly introduced into springs threatening native aquatic fauna (USFWS 1990).

Fish Species

Natives (all endemic)

Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes - Ash Meadows Pupfish
Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis - Warm Springs pupfish
Cyprinodon diabolis - Devils Hole pupfish |P| (Population history statistics)
Empetrichthys merriami - Ash Meadows poolfish (Extinct)
Rhinichthys osculus nevadensis - Ash Meadows speckled dace

Introduced (extant only)

Gambusia affinis - western mosquitofish
Micropterus salmoides - largemouth bass |P|
Poecilia latipinna - sailfin molly

87KK jpeg Devils Hole.
Peter Rissler photo

43KK jpeg Devils Hole, 16 November, 1992 - Gail Kobetich and Kevin fish watching.
Rollie White photo

74KK jpeg Devils Hole, 16 November, 1992 - view of the gate.
Rollie White photo

62KK jpeg Devils Hole spawning shelf.
Eric Gustafson photo

73KK jpeg Schematic drawing of Devils Hole spawning shelf.
Eric Gustafson drawing

57KK jpeg Crystal Spring.
Peter Rissler photo

74KK jpeg Jack Rabbit Spring.
Peter Rissler photo

88KK jpeg King's Pool.
Peter Rissler photo

57KK jpeg Fairbank's Spring.
Peter Rissler photo

The Desert Springs Action Committee has quite a bit of information on Ash Meadows and other southern Nevadan habitats including information on their conservation work there.

References

Deacon, J. E. and Williams, C. D. 1991. Ash Meadows and the legacy of the Devils Hole pupfish. In Battle Against Extinction: Native Fish Management in the American West. Minckley, W. L. & Deacon, J. E. (eds.). pp. 69-87. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, United States.

Soltz, D. L. and Naiman, R. J. 1978. The natural history of native fishes in the Death Valley system. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California, Science Series. 30: 1-76.

USFWS. 1990. Recovery Plan for the Endangered and Threatened Species of Ash Meadows, Nevada. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Portland.

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This page last modified:  09 December 2003