Ely: Ash Springs Recreation Site Closed for Public Safety and Resource Protection

ELY, Nev. -- The closure of a spring-fed soaking pool and the area around it at the Ash Springs Recreation Site, about 100 miles north of Las Vegas, will continue for 2 years, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced in a Federal Register notice published Friday, June 6, 2014.

The temporary 2-year closure of the area along U.S. Highway 93 in Lincoln County is necessary because extensive modification of the man-made pool by public users has made it unsafe and is degrading habitat for endangered species.

During the closure period the BLM will consider the possibilities for managing the recreation site, whether repairs to the pool are feasible and if traditional uses are impairing habitat for the Federally-listed endangered White River springfish and three listed BLM Nevada Sensitive Species. Substantial repairs to the site would require additional funding, planning and coordination, which the BLM would analyze in an environmental assessment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act incorporating public comments.

The area was closed on an emergency basis last summer. The closure is necessary to allow BLM the time to assess the damage and determine the best course of action. The publication of the Notice of Temporary Closure in the Federal Register signals the start of the 2-year closure.

For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District public affairs specialist, at (775) 289-1842 or chanefel@blm.gov.