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Sagebrush sparrow on creosote, on the site of the proposed Rock Valley Solar Project.
Endemic Amargosa sand scorpion glowing in black light at night.
Rock Valley Energy Center Project in Variance Phase in Amargosa Valley
Rock Valley Energy Center Project in Variance Phase in Amargosa Valley
November 22, 2024 - Lathrop Wells, Nevada - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has moved this large solar application forward into the variance and application evaluation phase, and has held public meetings. Unfortunately BLM already placed this project on High Priority in the variance determination, and is gathering more information on whether to move forward into the environmental review phase under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Amargosa Valley view from foothills looking across the Mojave Desert creosote flats of the proposed Rock Valley Energy Center development. You can barely see US highway 95. This is a relatively undisturbed, intact landscape that holds spring wildflower dipslays, and as we discovered, rare and endemic scorpion populations found nowhere else.
The proposed project is just over 10,000 acres and 1,600 megawatts, with Lithium battery storage bankc, on public lands in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. This would be one of the largest solar projects in the western states if built. Yet on a field visit we found the area to be biodiverse, scenic, and largey intact and undisturbed. We continue to advocate that these solar panels should go on rooftops and over parking lots in the built environment.
BLM's map of the proposed 10,000-acre solar project near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
We investigated an area of 40 Mile Canyon Wash, a braided spreading dry desert wash that crosses a large portion of the western side of the proposed solar project. During a massive October rain event several years ago, this wash became a raging 500-foot-wide flash flood that sent a huge amount of water to connect with the mainstem of the Amargosa River. This is a deceptively quiet place to build an energy facility.
Slide from BLM's virtual public meeting held on November 15, 2024.
Rock Valley may be named for the common volcanic "bombs" scattered about the valley floor here, which are a type of basaltic partially molten lava (tephra) thrown out during an eruption.
The valley away from US 95 was wild, undisturbed, and quiet except for the calls of flocks of horned larks flying up from the desert. There were abundant black havester ant colonies, and the ants were still out harvesting seeds from dried wildflowers--this part of Amargosa Valley had a very good bloom last spring. Dried wildflowers included evening primroses, pincushions, white-stem mentzelias, annual cryptanthas, buckwheats, spineflowers, and more. We found no sign of off-roading here. This is a wild, intact landscape that deserves to be left to nature.
Dried Cryptantha wildflower from last spring.
Dried white-stem Mentzelia.
A flock of horned larks flies up from the desert.
Big Dune can be seen to the northwest of the Rock Valley site. This is a special management area for off-highwy vehicle recreation, yet we found no vehicle tracks here.
Wide open Mojave Desert creosote-bursage ecosystem is home to endemic scorpions and tarantulas. Sunset light and shadow looking towards the Funeral Range (on the left) which is in Death Valley National Park.
We found several small groups of Sagebrush sparrows (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) on the proposed solar project site--they are wintering here in Amargosa Valley from the northern Great Basin and Intermontane states.
At sunset from the Rock Valley area of Amargosa Valley we could see Sierra Nevada peaks, and The Minarets near Mammoth Mountain, CA, on this clear cold day. The tallest point of The Minarets is Clyde Peak at 12,281 feet in elevation. We were amazed at being able to see this distance from Amargosa Valley, as the usual summer haze obscures this view. A part of Big Dune is in the lower foreground shadows.
Harvester ant colonies were common on the proposed solar project site.
Chaff around the harvester ant hill.
Black harvester ant (Veromessor pergandei) collecting dried wildflower seeds.
Warm summer nights are perfect for observing scorpions. Their exoskeleton flouresces in ultra-violet light, and "black light" flashlights can find these glowing little jewels with searching. We found an unexpectedly large diversity of scorpions in Amargosa Valley during the last two summers, including an endemic and a possible new taxon of undescribed scorpion. Lava Dune in Amargosa Valley at night with moonlight and black light and a sand scorpion glowing.
The same Beck's desert scorpion with a flashlight.
Endemic Amargosa Sand Scorpion
Endemic Amargosa Sand Scorpion
The Sand scorpion (Paruroctonus arenicola ssp. arenicola) is only found in central and southern Amargosa Valley in Nevada and California. We found this specimen on typical habitat of sand dunes at Lava Dune, a few miles from the proposed Rock Valley solar project area. Sand habitats are common in this area.
We observed this Amargosa sand scorpion in September 2023 on gravelly flats that do not appear suitable, but the wind-blown sand content of this area is high. Unfortunately this observation was made on the designated Amargosa Solar Energy Zone, under the Western Solar Plan of 2012 on BLM-managed lands, so is also threatened with solar energy development.
Global distribution of the Amargosa sand scoprion: only in southern and central Amargosa Valley in Nevada, and a few in California. Map from iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181011924)
New Scorpion Species?
New Scorpion Species?
We observed several scorpions on the gravel-sand flats in central Amargosa Valley that stumped the scorpion experts. This may be a new species, as yet undescribed to science, but already threatened by large-scale solar energy dvelopment. It may be a scorpion in the Paruroctonus shulovi nevadae complex. More study is needed, and Rock Valley Energy Center Project needs to be moved to Low Priority status until this taxon is better surveyed for and described.
The same scorpion with a flashlight. See iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/184956833).
Deswert tortoise burrow on a wash edge on the proposed solar project site.
Probable badger track.
Large kangaroo rat burrows on the Amargosa Valley desert floor, at the proposed Rock Valley Energy Center Project. These may be desert kangaroo rat (Dipodomys deserti).
Red cinder cone near the project site. It is an active rock mine.
Another volcanic bomb boulder spewn from a cinder cone thousands of years ago.
During the question and answer period, and public comment period during the November 5 BLM meeting we learned several items about the solar project:
Groundwater will be needed to the amount of 480 acre-feet per year for construction grading dust suppression. The project applicant has obtained a water lease in basin 230 about 5 miles from the project, and will be trucked to the solar project and stored in 25-gallon tanks.
BLM said it will evaluate later whether growndwater pumping causes a drawdown at Devil's Hole, the only habitat for the federally endangered Devil's Hole pupfish.
A sand transport study will be conducted in the area.
Surveys for invertebrates, desert tortoise, and botanical have been conducted and BLM us waiting to publish them.
BLM said there was a high level of solar developer interest in this area so it has a competitive offering and is High Priority in the variance review, in cooperation with the Town of Amargosa Valley and Nye County.
A drainage report and stormwater control plan will be developed later.
BLM will undertake a cultural resources inventory and survey in the next few months to study such features as the old Topnopah and Tidewater Railroad Grade--these are popular to explore with railroad clubs.
BLM has not undertaken outeach to rresidents or businesses of Lathrop Wells. A portion of the airstrip there is overlapped by the proposed solar project.
The solar developer worked with the Town of Amargosa Valley to develop setbacks from houses from the 10,000-acre solar facility.
A spike in valley fever was reported in Amargosa Valley, so a concern with disturbance of lands by solar construction was commented on.
Sunset light on the proposed project site in Amargosa Valley near Lathrop Wells, NV, looking eastward towards the Spring Range and hills around Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
View of the proposed Rock Valley Energy Center Project in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. Only a few roads cut through this wild intact landscape.
Amargosa Valley, Nevada, looking across the proposed Rock Valley solar project site on 10,000 acres, to the Spring Range and hills around Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Solar panels should go on disturbed lands, not wild lands ecosystems.
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