Bahsahwahbee: A Sacred Landscape at Risk

Bahsahwahbee (Ba-sa-wa-Bee), Shoshoni for “sacred water valley,” is a breathtaking landscape in the Spring Valley of Eastern Nevada rich in natural beauty and historical significance. A bill recently introduced by Senator Cortez Mastio (D-Nev.) would honor a tribal proposal to designate Bahsahwahbee as a national monument and preserve its deep history.  

Ecological Significance 

Bahsahwabee contains a globally unique grove of swamp cedars (Rocky Mountain juniper trees), and is thus locally known by the name “Swamp Cedars.” Swamp cedars generally grow in the mountains at elevations above 8,000 feet, but in Spring Valley, the swamp cedars grow at an elevation of just 5,000 feet and can tolerate much more concentrated levels of salt. This grove, seemingly able to grow under all the wrong conditions, is sustained by the valley’s natural groundwater and springs. Spring Valley has over 100 natural springs which provide a crucial water source that helps sustain the swamp cedars and other vegetation, such as greasewood shrublands and Great Basin wildrye, which are vital for the valley’s wildlife.

Groundwater is a vital resource to the ecological health of the valley, and much of Bahsahwahbee is unprotected from threats to its water, like pipelines and over-pumping, that would destroy its ecosystem. Designating Bahsahwabee as a national monument would be an important step towards permanently protecting the area from these threats. 

Indigenous History 

The natural springs and water of Bahsahwahbee have been central to the practices and beliefs of many indigenous communities over the past few centuries. Protecting Bahsahwahbee’s water is not only vital to the area’s ecological health, it is sacred to the religious and cultural customs of the area’s tribal communities.  

From 1850 to 1900, Bahsahwahbee was the site of three massacres of the indigenous Newe (now Shoshone and Goshute) people, committed by American soldiers, settlers, and militia members. These massacres are part of the country’s history and the histories of those who still live in the Sacred Water Valley today. Indigenous people continue to visit the site of these massacres, to remember their ancestors and to mourn. Designating Bahsahwahbee as a national monument will  recognize and commemorate the land’s history and the role it has played in the lives of Newe communities.  

While Bahsahwahbee is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, designating it as a National Monument will transfer its management to the National Park Service, a step that will  protect the land and allow for increased education and preservation of its history. 

With recent announcement of the Bureau of Land Management’s vision for Bahsahwahbee as an industrial solar development zone, the need to protect Bahsahwahbee and call for its designation as a national monument is even greater. While solar energy and infrastructure development is an important part of conservation efforts and the energy transition, it shouldn’t come at the cost of protecting sacred and ecologically significant lands like Bahsahwahbee.