Sacred Water Tour 2015: Stop the Water Grab!

Stealing Water From the Desert? We Say No!

Photo from 2014 Sacred Water Tour

Photo from 2014 Sacred Water Tour

Join us this Memorial Day weekend for a tour of sacred lands threatened by unsustainable “development”. We will spend three days visiting the communities to be affected by the water grab, learning about the project and the threatened sacred lands and waters, and camping in some of these beautiful places.


RSVP on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/events/319801881551753

Date: Saturday, May 23rd – Monday, May 25th (Memorial Day weekend)

Location: the tour will begin near Ibapah, Utah and end near Ely, Nevada

What: Driven by the greed of real estate speculators, the Southern Nevada Water Authority — the corporate-like utility that provides water to the Las Vegas area — is planning to extract millions of gallons of water from the eastern Great Basin.

The Great Basin is a beautiful and remote place, full of soaring limestone mountains, broad valleys, a startling array of wildlife, and some of the most isolated locations in the west.

It’s also a sacred place to many indigenous communities, such as the Goshute, Shoshone, Paiute, and Washoe nations, who have lived and died here for countless generations.
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This is a family-friendly event. All are welcome.

Location

This tour will take place in Eastern Nevada around the region of Great Basin National Park, Spring, Snake, Cave, Lake, and Delamar Valleys, and at the Confederated Tribes of Goshute Reservation. We will pass through the towns of Ibapah and Ely, but will otherwise be mostly on remote dirt roads.

Spring Valley rain, 2014

Spring Valley rain, 2014

Transportation

Carpools may be available. Please post here if you can offer a ride, or if you’d like to come but need a ride. If you plan to drive, a vehicle with relatively high clearance is recommended. A Volvo made it last year, but it was a bit of a stretch.

Passing into Spring Valley from Antelope Valley

Passing into Spring Valley from Antelope Valley

Camping

We will be camping in remote locations. Bring everything you need for the weekend: food, water, sleeping bags, tent. Post here if you can share gear or you need to borrow from someone else. This is the desert, and it is a harsh climate. Expect temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees. It could be sunny and baking hot, or cold and rainy. Snow is even possible, but would likely make our dirt roads impassable (we hope for no snow). Be prepared for all weather conditions. Bring extra clothes, sunglasses, and extra food & water. A shovel is nice to have.

Young Pronghorn Antelope near SNWA test wells

Young Pronghorn Antelope near SNWA test wells

Planning Ahead

If you are considering attending the water grab please read this page. We will be visitors on Goshute and Shoshone lands, so we should know something about the place and act respectfully: http://goshutewater.org/

Mark your calendars now! The itinerary is not yet planned, so stay posted for more details. If you’re a local or work on the issue and are interested in collaborating more closely, or have some ideas for this, please contact us.

The tour will be guided by members of the Shoshone nation and members of Deep Green Resistance. This is not a full-service tour (we aren’t planning to cook for everyone or take care of all your needs). We will be in rugged locations with little to no services. Our second camp will be dusty and does not have a bathroom – but is one of the most spectacular locations around.

Background Information:

Video introduction to the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2NyvF40SS8

Pictures from the 2014 Sacred Water Tour: https://plus.google.com/…/+MaxWi…/albums/6018516783810445025

Report-back from the 2014 Sacred Water Tour: http://dgrnewsservice.org/…/report-back-from-the-sacred-wa…/

Background information about the SNWA Water Grab: http://deepgreenresistancesouthwest.org/snwa-pipeline/

Goshute Tribe website about the Water Grab: http://goshutewater.org/

Questions?

Do you have questions? Comments? Want to get involved? Do you need special accommodations? Comment below or email max@maxwilbert.org.

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