Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area
The Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area (NCA) was designated by the
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7202, Public Law 111-11,
hereinafter OPLMA) at Title I, Subtitle O, Washington County, Utah, sec. 1975. The
designation was amended by the map included in the 2010 Interior and Environment
Appropriations Bill Conference Agreement that showed modifications to the NCA
boundaries and a reduction in its acreage, from 68,083 acres to approximately 63,480
acres.
The approximately 63,500 acre Beaver Dam Wash NCA is located in the southwestern corner of Washington County, Utah, along the state lines of Nevada and Arizona. The landscape provides an interesting ecological transition zone between the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin.
Its creosote bush, white bursage, and other desert shrubs grow at lower elevations and provide habitat for desert bighorn sheep and the Mojave Desert tortoise, a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act. Joshua trees and dense stands of blackbrush cover the slopes of the Beaver Dam Mountains, which rise along the eastern boundary of the NCA. Surface water flows in the upper reaches of Beaver Dam Wash, but rarely travels all the way through the NCA. Riparian vegetation along the stream channel is important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. At this time, there are no developed recreation facilities in the NCA.
The warm, dry climate of the NCA allows for enjoyable outdoor activities
during all but the hot summer months. It is an increasingly popular destination for
camping, hiking, hunting, bird watching, mountain biking, and off-highway vehicle riding
on a network of unpaved roads. Tent and RV campers enjoy 38 designated dispersed
campsites with fire-rings, all located along maintained backcountry routes. The NCA
provides opportunities for world class rock climbing at Welcome Springs, Bulldog Knolls,
and Woodbury Crags. Over 70 climbs, ranging in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.14, are easily
accessible via short hikes from the Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway in
the NCA. Many of the 40 Special Recreation Permit (SRP) holders who operate in the NCA
offer commercial guiding services for rock climbing, mountain biking, and hunting for
desert bighorn sheep and mule deer.