Death Valleys' Lake Manly Flush With Water, Pupfish Thriving
DEATH VALLEY, CA — Death Valley's Lake Manly—a dry lakebed at the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere — is still flush with water as summer approaches. Nearby Devils Hole, a small aquifer within the national park, has the largest population of endangered pupfish counted in 19 years. Both can be attributed to one of the rainiest seasons on record, according to the National Park Service and the National Weather Service.For a brief period this winter and spring, Lake Manly was open to boaters and kayakers, a rare treat for California's adventurers. However, according to a spokesperson for Death Valley National Park, that time has now passed. The lake's water levels dropped in late April, and "it is not possible to get to the water without leaving extensive social trails through the mud that will be visible until the next time the lake refills." A sunset view over a valley filled with a shallow lake surrounded by desert mountains. The moon in the sky reflects on the water in the valley. (NPS/ B.Silver-Bates)At the end of one of the rainiest seasons in many years, it is unknown when that much rain will come again. The National Weather Service website says that over the past six months, almost five inches of rain have fallen there due to the remnants of Hurricane Hilary and factors related to the atmospheric river.That additional rainwater contributed to filling a nearby aquifer known as Devils Hole, which, according to the USU.S.ish and Wildlife Service, is now populated with many endangered pupfish.A small blue fish swims underwater against a light brown background. U.S. Fish and WilU.S.ife Service. (Photo Credit: O. Feuerbacher )"The pupfish spring population is at a 25-year high!" a spokesperson for the park said. "Scientists counted 191 Devils Hole pupfish, the most fish observed during annual spring season counts in 25 years. This is good news for the critically endangered fish living in Death Valley National Park. Researchers count endangered pupfish in April 2024. (Photo: U.S. Fish and WilU.S.ife Service. -O. Feuerbacher )Using standard protocols, U.S. Fish and WU.S.ife Service biologists count Devils Hole pupfish every spring and fall.According to a social post, this year's spring count was conducted on April 6 and 7. At that time, experts used SCUBA gear to dive as deep as 100 feet to count fish, while other scientists counted fish on the shallow shelf at the water's surface."Before the mid-1990s, scientists counted about 200-250 Devils Hole pupfish each spring. For about 20 years, the population dropped to an average of around 90 fish.In 2013, the aquifer had a mere 35 pupfish—an all-time low, they said. Now, in 2024, the pupfish are thriving."Devils Hole pupfish are jointly managed by U.S. Fish and WU.S.ife Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, and National Park Service staff," they said in a Facebook post.Devils Hole is a spring-fed oasis that became designated a wildlife refuge in Death Valley in 1984. The Park Service writes on its website that it is a "window into this vast aquifer and an unusual indicator of seismic activity around the world. In September of 2022, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, with an epicenter in Mexico, triggered four-foot-tall tidal waves in Devils Hole in what was called a "Desert Tsunami.""Large earthquakes as far away as Japan, Indonesia, and Chile have caused the water to "slosh" in Devils Hole like water in a bathtub. Waves may splash as high as two meters up the walls, sweeping clean the shallow shelf so important to the pupfish." For more information about Death Valley, Lake Manly, and the Devils Hole Pupfish, visit the National Park Service online at Devils Hole - Death Valley National Park.Related:Death Valley Kayaking? Rains Replenish One Of Earth's Driest Lakes Death Valley Flash Flooding Closes Roads After Near-Record RainfallDeath Valley Records Hottest Temperature On Earth Again Death Valley Heat Shatters 101-Year-Old Temperature Record LA Man Dies Hiking In Scorching Death Valley HeatThe article Death Valleys' Lake Manly Flush With Water, Pupfish Thriving appeared first on Murrieta, CA Patch.
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