We visited this wonderful refuge found midway between Pahrump and Death Valley. What a wonderful site complete with a reservoir, a cavern of pupfish, a hike along preserved mortar and pestle type grinding holes used by the natives of the past to grind corn, beautiful desert flowers and a visitor centre. It is a drive on gravel roads, but so worth it. Here is what wickipedia has to say: The
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a protected
wildlife refuge located in the
Amargosa Valley of southern
Nye County, in southwestern
Nevada. It is directly east of
Death Valley National Park, and is 90 mi (140 km) west-northwest of
Las Vegas.
[1].
The refuge was created on June 18, 1984 to protect an extremely rare desert
oasis in the
Southwestern United States. It is administered by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[1]
Ash Meadows provides a valuable and unprecedented example of
desert oases
habitats, that have become extremely uncommon in the southwestern
deserts. The refuge is a major discharge point for a vast underground
aquifer water system, reaching more than 100 mi (160 km) to the northeast. Water-bearing
strata come to the surface in more than thirty
seeps and
springs, providing a rich, complex variety of mesic
habitats.
[1]
Virtually all of the water at Ash Meadows is
fossil water, believed to have entered the ground water system tens of thousands of years ago.
[2].
Numerous stream channels and
wetlands
are scattered throughout the refuge. To the north and west are the
remnants of Carson Slough, which was drained and mined for its
peat in the 1960s.
Sand dunes occur in the western and southern parts of the refuge.
At right is an example of the mortar and pestle grinding holes. A well constructed boardwalk provides a pathway for visitors and protects this fragile habitat of the area. There are 26 varieties of plant and animals found here that are
endemic to the area, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.
The very small pupfish are a vibrant blue, seen darting in the pools along the boardwalk.
It was a very interesting day, a place we will surely revisit.
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| Visitor Centre |
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| Crystal Springs Reservoir |
and other plants. Interesting as we travelled, there is enough food for deer, mostly antelope, to forage. But deer like to cross the highway, so miles and miles of fence has been constructed for their protection, even over the bridges. It was a beautiful 3 day drive. From Jackpot we travelled to another casino in Fort Hall ID, Helena MT and Shelby MT before resting in Lethbridge AB for a couple of weeks. A great trip home...dry all the way!
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