Desert Tortoise Surveys, Nevada Power's Reid Gardner Facility

In support of Nevada Power Company’s Reid Gardener Power Plant Facilities Expansion Project, JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc. (JBR) biologists conducted presence-or-absence and zone of influence surveys for the presence of the threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) on 560 acres near Moapa, Nevada. The desert tortoise survey followed established Bureau of Land Management and United States Fish and Wildlife Service tortoise survey protocol. 

JBR biologists used a Trimble Global Positioning System to navigate during the survey and to record all tortoises and tortoise signs observed. For the the presence-or-absence survey, seven JBR tortoise biologists walked 90 parallel transects, spaced 30 feet apart, in order to achieve one hundred percent coverage of the survey area. For the zone of influence survey, two JBR biologists walked transects parallel to the project boundary, at the specified distances of 300 feet and 600 feet. 

In addition to the desert tortoise survey, JBR biologists also conducted compliance monitoring, which included tortoise awareness training for construction crews, clearing travel paths for the crews, keeping work areas clear of desert tortoise, and recording any tortoise or sign encountered during the monitoring period.

• Eric Holt - Division Manager -