Planned Second Border Wall Threatens Unique Desert Oasis and Endangered Species

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans to erect a second 30-foot steel-bollard wall 90–150 feet north of the existing barrier at Quitobaquito Springs in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona. The construction would place heavy machinery within 190 feet of the spring’s pond, endangering the only wild habitat for the Sonoyta pupfish, Quitobaquito springsnails, and the Sonoyta mud turtle.

The Guardian

Quitobaquito Springs, known to the O’odham as A’al Vaipia, is an oasis that supplies the only reliable water source for roughly 100 miles of the Sonoran Desert. The aquifer was already stressed after the 2020 wall, when the pond’s lining cracked and flow fell to historic lows. The new wall plan relies on the 2005 Real ID Act, which lets the Department of Homeland Security waive the Endangered Species Act, NEPA and other review statutes.

The Guardian

• Species at risk: The pond supports the Sonoyta pupfish, springsnails—both found nowhere else in the wild—and the only U.S. population of the Sonoyta mud turtle (? 250 individuals).

The Guardian

• Captive backups: The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum holds 20 turtles and can take up to 50 more; the Phoenix Zoo maintains a small captive group and the only backup population of springsnails.

The Guardian

• Barrier expansion: 34 miles of secondary dual-wall barriers have been completed in Arizona; an additional 390 miles are under construction, including the Organ Pipe segment.

The Guardian

• Physical proximity: The pond’s southern edge lies 190 feet from the border; the planned wall would be within a few yards of the water’s outflow channel.

The Guardian

CBP reiterated its policy of not pumping groundwater within five miles of the springs—a rule applied during the 2020 construction. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Sundt Construction received the contract in late May and that work could begin “at any moment.”

Associated Press

• Environmental groups: Erick Meza, Sierra Club borderlands coordinator, called the scale “unbelievable.”

The Guardian

• Indigenous leaders: O’odham elder Wynona Larson Yazzie described the site as a sacred gathering place “since time immemorial” and labeled the plans “sickening.”

The Guardian

• Local observers: Aaron Cooper, International Sonoran Desert Alliance, said the agency provided “almost no information” and that there was “radio silence” on outreach.

The Guardian

• Researchers: Michael Bogan, University of Arizona aquatic ecologist, warned that groundwater pumping for cement could lower the aquifer enough to dry the spring.

The Guardian

Residents reported contractors surveying the area, flagging the site, and a bulldozer destroying a 200-foot, 1,000-year-old earthwork (an “intaglia”) that was part of a sacred O’odham ceremony space. A prayer run led by Larson Yazzie documented the destruction, prompting conservation advocate Russ McSpadden to call the act “reckless behavior.”

The Guardian

CBP asserts that limiting groundwater pumping to five miles will protect the spring, yet hydrologist Hector Zamora notes that much of the aquifer’s recharge may originate farther away, casting doubt on the agency’s mitigation pledge. No independent water-use data have been released to verify CBP’s claim.

The Guardian

• “I’ve never seen something of this magnitude,” — Erick Meza

The Guardian

• “It’s too much for us right now. It’s overwhelming,” — Wynona Larson Yazzie

The Guardian

Federal officials indicated that the access road parallel to the existing wall could be closed “as soon as next week,” turning a one-hour drive from the visitor center into an all-day trek. Researchers continue to evaluate emergency relocation options for the endangered fauna, stressing that captive holding is not a long-term solution.

The Guardian