Pupfish Refugia

USFWS Photo

The School Springs Refugium was established in 1980, and the Point of Rocks Refugium in 1991 in order to provide "back up populations" should the species go extinct within its natural habitat (Devil's Hole). In order to provide the necessary level of protection to these pupfish, public access is not allowed within either Refugium. Community and School group tours can be arranged upon request.

The Amargosa Pupfish Station's Refugia are designed, to the greatest extent practical, to mimic the natural conditions within Devil's Hole. They are 9.0 feet wide and 20 feet long. The water depth is 2 feet over the main pool area, with a deep section dropping off to 8 feet at one end which is slightly under-cut to emulate the Devil's Hole cavern. The water source for the School Springs Refugium comes from a nearby well. This water is100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is too hot for the pupfish. Therefore, it is pumped to a 300 gallon cooling tank which gravity feeds into the pool. A control valve is used to adjust the amount of flow into the Refugium to maintain a temperature between 88 degrees Fahrenheit and 92 degrees Fahrenheit. At the Point of Rocks Refugium, water is supplied from a nearby warm spring. This provides a continuous flow of 90 degree water. However, the water temperature within this refugium fluctuates between 87 degrees in the summer and 82 degrees in the winter.