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THREAD: Quitobaquito Springs, a stunning oasis sacred to the O'odham & home to two endangered species is drying up.
@DHSgov is siphoning millions of gallons of groundwater & digging trenches for wall construction while refusing to complete any environmental analysis. (1)
@DHSgov is siphoning millions of gallons of groundwater & digging trenches for wall construction while refusing to complete any environmental analysis. (1)
If you’re thinking: drilling wells in a natl. park home to rare springs & endangered species must be illegal — you’re right.
But recall, DHS waived every relevant enviro law. The Trump admin cut them loose with a blank check to destroy anything & everything they please. (2)
But recall, DHS waived every relevant enviro law. The Trump admin cut them loose with a blank check to destroy anything & everything they please. (2)
With these waivers, @DHSgov is mining millions of gallons of groundwater. Each drop is being stolen from the the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish that call the springs home. Now, it looks like wall construction is drying up their only natural habitat on Planet Earth. (3)
About 150 endangered Sonoyta mud turtles also make their home at Quitobaquito. This turtle is so endangered that the Trump administration granted it critical habitat protection last month. Yet those protections are meaningless when the ESA is waived... (4) https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2020/06/29/critical-of-critical-habitat-endangered-turtle-haven-abuts-border-wall
This massive amount of groundwater extraction is a direct violation of @USFWS scientists' conservation recommendations for the project, which clearly state:
"do not drill any water wells within 5 miles to the west and 10 miles to the east of Quitobaquito Spring..." (5)
"do not drill any water wells within 5 miles to the west and 10 miles to the east of Quitobaquito Spring..." (5)
Here's a graph directly from @USGS showing diminishing springflow at Quitobaquito -- dropping from around 11 gal/minute down to 7gal/minute. In addition to the diminishing springflow, experts suspect the pond itself has sprung a leak. (6)
Last year, the Hia-Ced O'odham led us in a massive protest action against wall construction at Organ Pipe. 400+ people but their hands on the barrier & vowed not to rest until we tore it down. The action culminated in a sunset ceremony at Quitobaquito. (7) https://theintercept.com/2019/11/24/arizona-border-wall-native-activists/
We've been sounding the alarm about the harm #BorderWall construction poses to this miraculous & sacred oasis for more than a year. With flows diminishing, the pond drying up & endangered species in jeopardy, #BorderWall construction must stop NOW.
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