Amargosa River Named # 9 on America’s Most Endangered Rivers® List of 2026 as Deadline to Approve Protections for Desert Lifeline Nears
CONTACT:
Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org
Mason Voehl, Executive Director at Amargosa Conservancy, mason@amargosaconservancy.org
Mandi Campbell, Member of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, karlikarson5@gmail.com
Carolyn Allen, Chair of the Amargosa Valley Town Board, carolynallen210@yahoo.com
Mathilda Guerrero, Public Affairs Director at Indigenous Voices Nevada, mathilda@nativevotesnv.org
Washington, D.C. — American Rivers is today naming the Amargosa River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2026, warning that a final deadline for protection at the Department of the Interior is approaching for this important drinking water supply. Without protection, this important resource could experience significant flow and water quality impacts that would harm thousands of people who rely on it and the ecosystems that it supports.
Finalizing the proposed mineral withdrawal is an urgent step toward safeguarding groundwater that sustains communities and wildlife, while long-term protection must be secured through congressional designation of the Ash Meadows National Conservation Area to permanently protect this extraordinary desert landscape.
“The Amargosa River is a vibrant ribbon of life in one of the driest landscapes in North America, but right now its future is in a precarious position,” said Chantel Dominguez, director of conservation partnerships for American Rivers. “While the river and ecosystems it preserves are fragile, the fight to save them has united a strong, bipartisan movement dedicated to protecting their life-giving resources.”
Tribes, federal elected leaders—including both Nevada Senators — local governments like Nye County, more than 25 conservation organizations, and thousands of residents rallied to support a 20-year mineral withdrawal for 309,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands surrounding Ash Meadows and the headwaters of the Amargosa. The Bureau of Land Management agreed to advance the proposal and enact temporary protections, but the approval has stalled, and the temporary protections are due to expire within the next 12 months.
While finalizing the mineral withdrawal is essential to provide temporary protection for precious groundwater resources, communities across the Amargosa River Basin are also calling for Congress to designate the Ash Meadows National Conservation Area to permanently protect Ash Meadows, Amargosa Valley, and the sovereign lands and sacred waters of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
“We are calling on our leaders to save the Amargosa River,” said Carolyn Allen, chair of the town of Amargosa Valley, Nevada. “Our community is living under threat. We fight for every drop of water. Our beautiful river needs to be saved and protected. This can’t wait.”
Without the mineral withdrawal, companies including St. Cloud Mining and Lhoist North America would expand claystone mining operations near the river, while hundreds of mining claims for lithium have also been staked nearby. These projects could require drilling and excavation down to—or below—the water table, potentially pumping large amounts of groundwater away from its source. This dewatering process could destabilize or dry up groundwater-fed springs in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley National Park and impact rural community wells.
The Amargosa River flows through Nevada and California, winding through the Mojave Desert before reaching Death Valley National Park and ultimately terminating in Badwater Basin. Though much of the river flows underground, its groundwater and springs sustain unique plants and wildlife found nowhere else on Earth, like the Devil’s Hole Pupfish.
“The Amargosa River is the lifeblood of one of the most unique havens of biodiversity left in North America,” said Mason Voehl, executive director of Amargosa Conservancy — a local nonprofit working toward a sustainable future for the Amargosa River through science, stewardship, and advocacy. “This is one of those last best places, and its wildlife and its people deserve a secure future.”
The region is part of the ancestral homelands of the Timbisha Shoshone, Southern Paiute, Pahrump Paiute, and Chemehuevi Tribes, whose communities continue to rely on the river and its groundwater for drinking water, food, medicine, and cultural practices. Rural communities in Nevada and California also depend on the river’s groundwater for drinking water and to support the region’s tourism economy.
“The Amargosa River is very special to me, my family, and our people,” says Mandi Campbell, advocate and member of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. “These waters are healing. To us, the water is alive. Without water, there’s nothing.”
American Rivers and its partners are calling on the Department of the Interior to approve the mineral withdrawal within the next 12 months before temporary protections expire for this sensitive water source. At the same time, partners are urging Congress to designate the Ash Meadows National Conservation Area, a durable conservation solution for the protection of groundwater, biodiversity, and Tribal and rural communities.
Communities across the Amargosa River Basin are united in recognizing that temporary protections buy time, but permanent conservation protections are necessary to ensure that their water, livelihoods, and cultural traditions remain secure for generations to come.
For more details on this river and the full America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list of 2026, including the selection process, click here.
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American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 4.4 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and the strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers®. AmericanRivers.org
Amargosa Conservancy is a conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Amargosa River Basin in Nevada and California. Working at the intersection of science, stewardship, and advocacy, we collaborate with Tribal Nations, rural communities, scientists, and decision-makers to safeguard one of the most ecologically unique desert watersheds in North America. From restoring wetlands to defending groundwater resources, our work ensures that the Amargosa River continues to sustain life in the Mojave Desert for generations to come. amargosaconservancy.org