January 2024 - Goffs Guzzler & Quail Rock Guzzler Installed
January 2024 - Two “All Species” Drinkers Installed in the East Mojave
Dependable sources of water have been a key topic of concern in the East Mojave desert since time immemorial. Struggles for access and control of key springs began with the Native Americans, and the clashes continued as explorers such as Edward Fitzgerald Beale and Kit Carson broke trails into the West and established inroads across the arid Mojave. Miners in the 1800’s scoured the hills, and desert ranchers followed. By 1894, the Rock Springs Land and Cattle Company supported 10,000 desert cattle in the Mojave. Natural water sources were maintained and further developed, and as ranching continued into the 1900’s artificial water sources were placed throughout the Mojave. The presence of water stations not only benefitted the cattle but also the indigenous animals. One may daresay that, as the environment changed due to human development and climate change, these “artificial” water sources became just as crucial as the natural ones to all species. Ownership interests in this region have advanced; the vast East Mojave has changed and is now a National Park. Ranching leases are being systematically phased out; when the ranchers leave, their cattle watering stations are abandoned. The NPS would like (and sometimes demand that) all the rancher installed (man-made) structures be removed. In the meantime, it’s the animals that suffer the consequences of the loss of a dependable water source that may have become imprinted on their DNA. This is one of those political battles between factions that runs hot and cold, depending on the temperament of the presiding and ever-changing NPS leadership staff.