LAS VEGAS — As a result of petitions from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that three rare Nevada species may warrant protections under the Endangered Species Act.

The Amargosa toad and the Oasis Valley speckled dace, a small fish, are threatened with extinction from proposed gold mining operations along the Amargosa River near Beatty, Nevada. Groundwater pumping at the mines could dry up their aquatic habitats. The Carson Valley monkeyflower lives in Carson City and Douglas County, Nevada, and has lost half its range because of urban sprawl and development.

The Fish and Wildlife Service found substantial evidence that protection may be warranted and will advance the species to a full review for endangered species status.

“This decision gives the Amargosa toad, Oasis Valley speckled dace and Carson Valley monkeyflower a fighting chance at survival,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Nevada is an epicenter of biodiversity, and these rare species are staring down the barrel of extinction unless we take prompt action to protect them. The Endangered Species Act is the best chance these little critters have, and I’m pleased to see them advance towards protection.”

There are more than 300 endemic species in Nevada — organisms that live only in the Silver State. Approximately four dozen of these currently have some form of federal or state protection but dozens more are in dire need.

Gold mining and urban sprawl are two of the most pervasive threats to biodiversity in Nevada. The state is the fourth-largest gold mining jurisdiction in the world, and mining consumes billions of gallons of groundwater each year. Meanwhile, urban sprawl and development have destroyed hundreds of square miles of valuable wildlife habitat.

“Multinational corporations extracting wealth from Nevada can’t do so by driving species extinct,” said Donnelly. “The Endangered Species Act is the most powerful law in the world at preventing extinction, and we’re going to keep pressing this issue until Nevada’s special critters get the protections they need.”

SPECIES BACKGROUND

The Amargosa toad and Oasis Valley speckled dace live in spring-fed habitats along the Amargosa River in Oasis Valley near Beatty in Nye County. Survey efforts have been sporadic but estimates are that just a couple thousand individuals of each species are in existence.

Beatty was an historic gold mining district in decades past. But modern gold mining operations are some of the largest industrial developments in history and can consume enormous volumes of water for pit dewatering and processing.

South African miner AngloGold has a half dozen different mining projects proposed directly adjacent to Beatty and the Amargosa River, threatening to dry up the habitats the toad and fish need to survive. This includes the North Bullfrog Mine, which is currently under permitting by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and would consume more than 1 billion gallons of groundwater each year.

The Carson Valley monkeyflower was only described as a distinct species 10 years ago, and at one time was very common throughout the Carson and Eagle Valleys of western Nevada. But habitat loss has gradually chipped away at the wildflower’s range.

Urban sprawl is the leading threat, with the expansion of Carson City and the Minden-Gardnerville area resulting in the direct loss of numerous populations of the wildflower. Other threats to the plant include invasive species, drought, feral horses, fuels management projects and off-highway vehicles.

The Center submitted Endangered Species Act petitions for the Amargosa toad, Oasis Valley speckled dace and Carson Valley monkeyflower in 2024.