July 5, 2024 - BEATTY, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity on Tuesday filed a legal petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking protection under the Endangered Species Act for the Oasis Valley speckled dace, a rare fish who lives only in the springs that feed the Amargosa River in Beatty, Nevada.

The Oasis Valley speckled dace is existentially threatened by numerous proposed gold mines adjacent to the Amargosa River. If the mines are built, dewatering and groundwater pumping from their operations could dry up the springs the fish relies on for survival.

“The Amargosa River is in the crosshairs of the international gold-mining industry, and the Oasis Valley speckled dace could be its first casualty,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center. “If we don’t take immediate action, we could lose this biologically important little fish and the precious, rare desert springs it needs for survival.”

The Oasis Valley speckled dace is one of four populations of the Amargosa speckled dace (Rhinichthys nevadensis nevadensis), with the others living in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada and two locations in California. Having been isolated from each other for so long, these populations have taken on distinct genetic characteristics that differentiate them from each other.

The petition cites the North Bullfrog Mine, currently under permitting by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, as the most imminent threat to the fish. Dewatering for that mine could draw down groundwater levels in the fish’s habitat by as much as 13 feet.

There are six additional proposed gold mines in the immediate area. A hydrologic analysis found that cumulative pumping for all these mines would draw down groundwater that feeds the Amargosa River across its entire length in Oasis Valley, potentially driving the speckled dace to extinction.

“Water is life in the desert, and we’re lucky to have a lot of it here in the Amargosa River Basin. That’s part of what has made this one of the most biodiverse regions in the country,” said Donnelly. “We can’t sacrifice this wild place for the shortsighted greed of gold-mining companies. Only the Endangered Species Act can save the Oasis Valley speckled dace and the Amargosa River.”

Today’s petition follows closely on the heels of a similar petition the Center submitted for the Amargosa toad, a rare amphibian that shares habitat with the Oasis Valley speckled dace.

Oasis Valley speckled dace. Photo by Bureau of Land Management.