Randy Watkins
@bluetortoise3
Lead Field Biologist on large water and power projects in the Eastern Mojave, from 1999-2010 for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Link:
The Ramones were popular w/ students, and many college stations had their music in regular rotation. I used to hang out at KUNV, the radio station on the UNLV campus, and I would help w/ music programming. The Ramones playing this benefit concert for KUNV was one of the best shows I‘ve ever seen.
The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument passed both houses of Congress in December 2014 and signed into law by President Obama to protect Ice Age paleontological discoveries. I did archeo work out there as part of cultural anthropology coursework. Awesome place! www.nps.gov/articles/ser...
President Biden established Avi Kwa Ame National Monument under the Antiquities Act. It's named for Avi Kwa Ame, also known as Spirit Mountain. It's considered to be among the most sacred places on Earth by the Mojave, Chemehuevi, and some Southern Paiute people. www.blm.gov/avi-kwa-ame-...
President Obama designated the Gold Butte National Monument monument using his powers under the Antiquities Act the same day as the designation of Bears Ears National Monument. A two year effort by local conservation groups, lawmakers and the Moapa Band of Paiutes. www.blm.gov/programs/nat...
The Basin and Range National Monument area has geological, ecological, cultural, historical, paleoecological, seismological, archaeological, and paleoclimatological significance. The area is located in a transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts. www.blm.gov/programs/nat...
Biden conserved more lands and waters than any President in history, creating the largest corridor of protected lands in the lower 48 states; the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor. Trump is undoing it w/ the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monument reductions 🌎 www.npca.org/articles/644...
You are correct, they do have a “license plate” assigned to them once they are captured and examined. It’s a unique number issued by the USFWS for that particular desert tortoise from that particular location.
I've worked w/ Mojave desert tortoises since 1990 when they were given federal protection and listed federally as a Threatened species. I'm a USFWS Authorized Biologist, meaning I'm permitted by USFWS to handle them and train other biologists how to handle them so that they can become an A.B. too. 🌎
I worked at Lake Mead from 1999 - 2010 as a wildlife biologist overseeing water infrastructure development for Las Vegas. The amount of Colorado River water dropped so fast that it threatened to expose water intakes on the island, so building a water intake under the lake bottom was fast tracked.🌍
I don’t want to brag, but… One of many festivals I’ve attended. The Kinks were incredible.
This is the way it was during the construction of the second and third intakes by SNWA in the River Mountains at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
How about some photos from the work I did at Lake Mead National Recreation Area for the SNWA. I have a lot of Big Horn Sheep photos.
And a very good night to you, you awesome Talking Heads drummer you. Loved you at the Greek Theater:
My job was a biological monitor for the wildlife, and also oversight of the construction because of federal permits for all of it, particularly for a National Recreation Area. One of the largest Bighorn sheep herds in NV is in the River Mountains (~250), and they would wander right through.
SNWA built their second intake into Lake Mead between 1997-2010. I worked at the Lake, through the mountains and into the Las Vegas Valley. We all watched the water levels drop dramatically at Lake Mead during that time. Saddle Island in the Lake is where the water intake systems are installed:
I was unfortunately there during part of the standoff. I worked for an enviro-consultant who had Overton Power District #5 as a client. I needed to collect seeds for restoration work on transmission lines that we had built through Bundy‘s grazing areas. Bundy posted a sign at one entrance ALT TEXT
Gold Butte absolutely deserved National Monument status to help protect it , including from illegal cattle grazing by Cliven Bundy which is still unfortunately going on. Just look at all the petroglyphs.
As Mr. Garrison from South Park would say, “Merry f$&@ing Christmas to yoouu”!!!
The Colorado River is in crisis due to climate change, worsening regional drought conditions, and reducing the amount of water entering the river basin. The extreme water level drop at the Lake Mead reservoir can be seen in these two photographs from 1999 and 2010 🌎 lasvegassun.com/news/2025/de...
I was a biologist on the construction of the Ivanpah Electric Generating System (ISEGS) at the CA/NV state line at Primm, NV. It’s located next to Primm Valley Resorts golf course w/extensive water features, attracts many migratory birds that fly through the solar fields and can catch on fire.
The Colorado River Basin provides water for 7 U.S. states, 2 states in Mexico, and 30 federally recognized tribes.The states CO, N.M., UT, WY (Upper Basin) and AZ, NV, CA (Lower Basin) are negotiating a new management plan because climate change has reduced the amount of water to near-record lows.🌎
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) webpage, for some reason, adds that photo of pv panels to the article when the article is forwarded or shared. There’s no photo attached to the source. It should be this photo:
I’ve seen this anti-science attitude before when the Mojave desert tortoise was federally listed in 1989. There was significant backlash in the Las Vegas area from developers, homebuilders, and some government officials, w/ accusations of biologists in a federal government plot to hurt Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper posted this photo earlier at the other place (X) of a marquee for a hotel casino off of the Las Vegas strip. Unfortunately, Kirk has a lot of fans in Las Vegas.