🌵 Desert News, 5/13/24 🌵

Toads, Tortoises, and F-15s Crashing in National Parks

May 13, 2024

Glen Canyon Dam

Back in April

Damage Inside Glen Canyon Dam Increases Water Risks on Colorado River

Damage inside Glen Canyon Dam could limit how much Colorado River water is released at low reservoir levels, raising risks the Southwest could face previously unforeseen shortages.

The damage was recently detected in four 8-foot-wide steel tubes that allow water to pass through the dam in northern Arizona when Lake Powell reaches low levels. Dam managers spotted deterioration in the tubes after conducting an exercise last year that sent large flows from the dam into the Grand Canyon.

$18M Investment From Inflation Reduction Act Benefits Native Seed Increase Projects in the Mojave Desert

The Victor Valley College Native Seed Production project under the BLM Mojave Desert Native Plant Program in southern California, will benefit from the investment. Started in 2022, the BLM partnership with Victor Valley College is a joint effort to grow native plants, increase native seed output and develop seed harvest protocols for Mojave Desert habitat restoration. The project is forecasted to span five years.

Mountain Lion Sighting Elicits Warning From Texas Parks and Wildlife 

A mountain lion sighting in Presidio, Texas generated some attention in regional press. Oddly, the coverage linked above doesn’t mention the fact that Texas Parks and Wildlife is considering proposals to ban canned hunting of mountain lions, with comments due May 22. Canned hunting consist of trapping the lions, then releasing them while hunters wait to shoot. The proposals being considered would also require trappers to check their traps for lions at least once every 36 hours. For more information on the proposals and how to submit comments, visit TexansforMountainLions.org.

Groundwater regulation weaknesses exploited by industrial-scale agriculture

Despite relatively stringent state laws limiting extraction of fossil groundwater for agriculture, communities in southeastern Arizona are facing increased pumping by large corporations. water levels in some nearby wells have dropped as much as four feet per year.

Looting Tribal Land

After an AT&T contractor bulldozing trenches on tribal land without permit unleashed a stream of racist invective at tribal officials trying to stop him, the company and representatives of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians are in talks to see if an agreement can be reached that respects Tribal sovereignty and cultural resources. The incident is just one example of misappropriation of resources on Tribal lands; crimes that mainly go uninvestigated.

May 1

Wildlife Bridge and Underpass are Used Thousands of Times Each Month

A wildlife bridge and a nearby underpass on Oracle Road north of Tucson are proving to be popular for a variety of animals, including bobcats, coyotes, deer, and even reptiles. The structures, which were built with regional transportation funds and completed in 2016, have been used by tens of thousands of animals ever since.

Will We Still Have National Monuments?

A new Trump administration would be bad news for dozens of beloved national monuments. A blueprint for undoing the Antiquities Act, and rescinding the designations of many large national monuments across the west, was prepared by William Perry Pendley, who illegally headed the U.S. Bureau of Land Management during the Trump administration. The plan that threatens our national monuments is part of the Project 2025 agenda compiled by the Heritage Foundation for a possible Republican takeover of the White House and both houses of Congress.

California protects its Joshua trees. A new bill could allow more to be cut down for development

California recently passed the Western Joshua Tree Conservation act, which offers some protection to the iconic and threatened desert tree, in part by setting fees to discourage developers from damaging the trees. The Bill allowed local governments to offer reduced fees to homeowners and small projects. Assembly member Juan Carrillo, whose West Mojave district includes several economically struggling towns, has introduced a bill that would cut fees for larger developers as well. Environmental groups are unanimous in their opposition to Carrillo’s measure.

May 2

A Major Win for The Lands Between: 25 Oil and Gas Leases Canceled

Bears Ears Partnership’s litigation and settlement over the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) March and December 2018 oil and gas lease sales in the Lands Between has resulted in the cancellation of 25 of the 28 parcels - a total of 40,296.23 acres. Located between Bears Ears, Canyons of the Ancients, and Hovenweep National Monument, The Lands Between is an integral part of a contiguous cultural landscape that connects Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Bears Ears, and beyond. 

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May 6

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Site of Rabid Fox Attacks

Two foxes tested positive for rabies after attacking a Tucson museum worker on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Department of Game and Fish. The foxes attacked a worker at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, but the worker did not sustain any injuries.

May 7

John B. Poindexter Honored as 2024 West Texas Conservationist of the Year

The Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) at Sul Ross State University celebrated John B. Poindexter as the 2024 West Texas Conservationist of the Year during a special event at Houston’s River Oaks Country Club on April 10. This annual award recognizes individuals who make significant contributions to conservation in West Texas, and this year, Poindexter’s efforts were in the spotlight.

Owner of the historic Cibolo Creek Ranch in Presidio County, Poindexter has been a passionate advocate for preserving the natural beauty and historical significance of this 30,000-acre property, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

May 8

Scottsdale Water begins registration for citywide water conservation program

The Scottsdale water conservation program — which typically launches in July — is now open early to all eligible participants. The rebate program, a cornerstone of Scottsdale’s water conservation initiatives, aims to award residents and businesses to adopt water-saving measures while offering financial support for their conservation efforts.

Navajo leaders urge Biden to block transport of uranium ore across tribal lands in Arizona

The Navajo Nation is asking the Biden administration to stop transportation of the uranium ore from a mine south of the Grand Canyon across tribal lands to a mill in Utah. Energy Fuels, owner of the Pinyon Plain uranium mine near Grand Canyon Village, began production at the mine in December and plans to ship ore by truck across the Navajo Reservation.

White Sands National Park remains partially closed after Air Force F-16 jet crash

Most of White Sands National Park in New Mexico is closed to the public as investigators sift through remains of an F-16 fighter jet that crashed in the park April 30. The pilot ejected safely and took only minor injuries; no one else was aboard at the time of the crash. All park roads north of the Dune Life Nature Trail are closed to the public at present. You can check the White Sands NP website for updates. 

Water woes continue for Candelaria as county mulls collaboration between districts

Small communities in West Texas’ Presidio County are having trouble making sure their residents have sufficient safe drinking water. The border community of Candelaria is under a boil water notice and being fined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for substandard water quality. Nearby communities such as Shafter and Redford are facing similar issues. The biggest problem is that these small communities don’t have the financial or staff resources to keep their systems operating to ensure water quality. County officials are debating who has the authority to step in and set things right.

Nevada’s ‘green bank’ receives $156 million for statewide solar

The Nevada Clean Energy Fund has been awarded $156 million in federal money for statewide solar projects. The five-year grant will fund solar installations on single-family homes and affordable housing developments, community solar projects, and education and workforce development.

May 9

Hallucinogen from Sonoran Desert toad venom shows potential to treat mental disorders

The toads secrete a hallucinogenic substance called 5-MeO-DMT that has caused problems for the species, as recreational drug users seek out the toads in the wild, often with unpleasant effects for both toad and human. Under controlled conditions, however, the substance shows some promise as a treatment for depression and other mental health issues.

Yield to the Sonoran Desert Tortoises

A reminder to check your surroundings for desert tortoises, which are moving about the landscape these days. Vehicle impacts are a major avoidable source of desert tortoise mortality.

May 10

BLM seeks input on proposed Sonoran Desert National Monument grazing plan

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a land use planning proposal regarding livestock grazing within the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The proposal would make six allotments in the monument available for brief periods of grazing based on the availability of forage and subject to additional, allotment-specific analysis. Alternative C would bar grazing from the entire monument. The comment period is scheduled to close June 10, 2024. Comments may be submitted via email to [email protected], online at the BLM National NEPA Register, or via mail to Lower Sonoran Field Office, Attn: SDNM Grazing, 2020 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022.

Covering the biggest sand desert with solar panels: 173 TWh and the biggest mistake in human history

This is an odd hypothetical story, and it’s also outside of North America, but we include it here because of a key piece of information: covering desert landscapes with solar panels can boost warming, at least locally, since dark solar panels absorb more sunlight than the lighter-colored soil and vegetation typically found in deserts. This means that rather than being reflected back into space, more of the sunlight hitting solar panels gets turned into heat.

May 12

As Lake Mead recedes, illegal roads pose new danger to environment, cultural sites

People are carving illegal roads across exposed lakebed at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, attempting to reach the water as the drought-stricken reservoir shrinks. The National Park Service wants to use $8.67 million in funding generated by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act to address the situation.