9459 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

[mportancc of Wctlunds to 1?ndangcrcd and "Thrcutcncd Spccics The Ash Meadows region in southern Nye County, Nevada, and adjacent Inyo County, California, is perhaps the best example of a desert wetland in the southwestern United States. The area is well known to biologists for its high level of wetland-dependent and aquatic endemics. The only other area in the grid region of North America to match the aquatic diversity of Ash Meadows is the Cuatro Cienegas Basin in the Chihuahuan Desert of east central Mexiar~(Minckley, 1969). Located in the eastern part of the Death Valley System, Ash Meadows lies east of the Amargosa River. Wetlands in the area are maintained by flow from several dozen springs and seeps ranging in discharge from a few gallons per min. to more than 2,000 gallons per min. At least ?0 springs contain native fishes (Boltz and Naiman, 1978). The springs are fed by an extensive ground water system which extends more than 167 km northeast of Ash Meadows. Many of the endemic plants, fish, and wildlife found in the wetlands of Ash Meadows are endangered. There are five species of plants endemic to Ash Meadows and approximately 60 species are found there and in other desert oases in the Death Valley System (Jim Reveal, pers. comm.). All five endemic plants of Ash Meadows are endangered. The most endangered is the nitre wort (Nitrophila rnohavensis), which has been reduced to one small area at the south end of Carson Slough, formerly the major wetland area in Ash Meadows (Beatley, 1976). In addition to the endemic plants in Ash Meadows, several disjunct populations of plants are threatened. Cooler wetland habitats along shaded stream banks support iso- lated populations of more northern and mountain species. The shooting star (Dode- catheon pulclaelh~nz), generally distributed along cool shaded stream banks in the northern Great Basin, now occurs only in Ash Meadows in the southern part of the Great Basin. Of the 18 spedes and subspecies of fishes which were endemic to the Death Valley System, tluee species and two subspecies occurred in Ash Meadows. One of these, the Ash Mea- dows killifish (EmpetricOrtlrys merrianai) is extinct. Populations of remaining fishes have been seriously depleted and could become extinct unless steps are taken to acquire and protect the remaining habitat. The primary threat to threatened and endangered plants and wildlife of Ash Meadows is the adverse alteration or destruction of wetland habitat resulting fiom diversion of sur- face flow and excessive pumping of ground water for agricultural uses. Wetland losses were especially severe in the late 1960's and early 1970's when excessive pumping lowered the water table in all aquatic habitats and some dried completely. After years of legal confrontations, the Supreme Count in 1976 upheld a lower court derision which limited the amount of ground water pumping in Ash Meadows. In 1977 the major agricultural interests in Ash Meadows sold their land (approximately 36 km2) to a real estate com- pany. Plans are being considered to subdivide the land and sell it in small plots or in- dividual lots. The future of the Ash Meadows wetlands remains uncertain. The Owens pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) provides a striking example of how wet- lands can be protected and endangered species saved through the cooperative efforts of private citizens, and local, state, and Federal governments. The Owens pupfish, once thought to be extinct, is one of four native fishes restricted to the Owens River Valley, which is part of the Death Valley System. In the early 1900's, the pupfish was abundant in desert wetlands in the northern part of the Owens Valley near Bishop, Mono, and Inyo counties, California. Increased demands on available water in the area'coupled with wet- land drainage projects resulted in a drastic decline in the species. Additional reduction in numbers resulted from predation by exotic fishes introduced into the area (Miller, 1961}. 571