Battle Against Extinction: The Desert Fishes Council's 47+ Years of Attention to an Imperiled Fauna, with a Tribute to Key Founder, James Deacon

In the mid 60’s aquatic ecosystems east of the Sierra Nevada and throughout the desert Southwest of North America were in trouble due to increased groundwater pumping and stream diversion. As the decade advanced, desert springs and streams were showing signs of drying up, and the endemic fish fauna found nowhere else on earth was in peril of extinction. In late 1969 a dedicated group of state, federal, and academic fish biologists were desperate to act on behalf of the unique and imperiled fauna. The Desert Fishes Council was formed in 1969 through the coordinated efforts of concerned scientists and managers.  Instrumental in this effort was Dr. Jim Deacon from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim’s graduate students were studying Devils Hole, located within Ash Meadows of western Nevada.  Die-hard desert rat biologists thus drafted themselves for a battle against extinction, scheduling the first meeting of what would become the Desert Fishes Council in November 1969. Also during this period, the U.S. Supreme Court readied for a critical decision that in essence proved that such battles can be worthwhile. This is the story about the Desert Fishes Council, in tribute to Jim Deacon.