Federal officials: Ash Springs will stay closed for two years at least
Anyone hoping to soak in the warm water of Ash Springs will need to wait for at least two more years, the Bureau of Land Management announced Friday.
“Little Ash,” about 100 miles north of Las Vegas, was closed by the BLM last summer after a ranger noticed that a brick wall supporting one side of the pool appeared ready to collapse on a swimming child.
The BLM has now extended its temporary closure of the site for the next 2 years. Bureau officials said they will spend that time considering various options for repairing the pool while protecting the endangered White River spring fish, among other listed species.
Construction and repairs will depend on an assessment from biologists, so there is chance that the popular swimming hole along U.S. Highway 93 north of Alamo might never reopen.
Last year, about 300 locals signed a petition asking the BLM to hand over control of the springs to Lincoln County.
Contact Ricardo Torres at rtorres@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @rickytwrites.
