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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I’m glad you find it interesting. Please enjoy a few more photos of the Lake Mead Bighorn Sheep herd:

A young male bighorn ram at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Female bighorns grazing on the ROW for the SNWA water projects.

A male and female bighorn on the SNWA ROW projects at Lake Mead.

One of the herds of bighorn sheep at Lake Mead.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I was 1 of ~ 14 wildlife biologists who worked on the construction of the water supply system between Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Valley. The River Mountain, which sits between the two, has one of the biggest herds of bighorn sheep in the state, ~200, that wandered through. rivermountainstrail.org

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I am an Authorized Biologist (A.B.), meaning I am authorized by the USFWS to handle threatened and endangered species; in particular the Mojave desert tortoise. This subadult (< 8 inches in length) was trying to get into a construction area, so I physically blocked her from getting past me. 🌎

A sub adult Mojave desert tortoise, meaning it is less than 8 inches in length, this one is ~ 5 inches, so its age is probably ~5 to 8 years old. An adult takes 15 to 20 years to reach maturity of at least ~8 inches in length in the wild.

I had to physically block this subadult Mojave desert tortoise from wandering into a construction site.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I‘m back at the NV Energy Greenlink West project. Greenlink West will be a 525 kV line that spans ~ 350 miles from Las Vegas to Yerington, Nevada, and will connect solar fields and other green energy projects being constructed throughout Nevada to the grid. www.nvenergy.com/cleanenergy/...

Two crew men are suspended under a helicopter as they place spacers in the transmission line cables.

A crewman stands on the outside, landing gear of the helicopter to help with placing the transmission line cables.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

If you see this, post your getaway vehicle

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Here is the Facebook page for Adam Haydock, the discoverer of the King Solomon's Cave, where he discusses the release of the research article along with a map of the cave interior. www.facebook.com/adam.haydock...

A map of the interior of King Solomon's Cave in S. Nevada USA

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The Ramones were popular w/ students, and many college stations had their music in regular rotation. I used to hang out at KUNV, the radio station on the UNLV campus, and I would help w/ music programming. The Ramones playing this benefit concert for KUNV was one of the best shows I‘ve ever seen.

The Ramones play benefit concert for KUNV radio at the UNLV campus December 7, 1984.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument passed both houses of Congress in December 2014 and signed into law by President Obama to protect Ice Age paleontological discoveries. I did archeo work out there as part of cultural anthropology coursework. Awesome place! www.nps.gov/articles/ser...

A part of the Tule Springs fossil beds with Gass Peak in the background

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument preserves thousands of Pleistocene (Ice Age) fossils that help tell the story of an ever-changing ecosystem. These fossils were preserved within expanding and contracting wetlands between 100,000-12,500 years ago.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

President Biden established Avi Kwa Ame National Monument under the Antiquities Act. It's named for Avi Kwa Ame, also known as Spirit Mountain. It's considered to be among the most sacred places on Earth by the Mojave, Chemehuevi, and some Southern Paiute people. www.blm.gov/avi-kwa-ame-...

Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs, in the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument

Summit area of Spirit Mountain (Avi Kwa Ame) National Monument

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

President Obama designated the Gold Butte National Monument monument using his powers under the Antiquities Act the same day as the designation of Bears Ears National Monument. A two year effort by local conservation groups, lawmakers and the Moapa Band of Paiutes. www.blm.gov/programs/nat...

The brightly hued sandstone of Gold Butte National Monument provides a stunning canvas for the area’s famously beautiful rock art

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The Basin and Range National Monument area has geological, ecological, cultural, historical, paleoecological, seismological, archaeological, and paleoclimatological significance. The area is located in a transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts. www.blm.gov/programs/nat...

Secretary Jewell & Director of the Bureau of Land Management Neil Kornze Joins Nevadans to Celebrate Designation of Basin and Range National Monument Designation preserves stunning landscapes, ancient rock art; protects existing ranching, military and recreation uses

Official map of Basin and Range National Monument, Nevada USA. Created by the Bureau of Land Management

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Love to you and the band…I was there🥰

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Biden conserved more lands and waters than any President in history, creating the largest corridor of protected lands in the lower 48 states; the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor. Trump is undoing it w/ the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monument reductions 🌎 www.npca.org/articles/644...

The Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

You are correct, they do have a “license plate” assigned to them once they are captured and examined. It’s a unique number issued by the USFWS for that particular desert tortoise from that particular location.

My trainee Sherry cleaning a location on the posterior of this Mojave desert tortoise. This is a standardized location for a USFWS ID tag.

This is the type ID tag used by the USFWS for Mojave desert tortoise identification purposes, unique to that tortoise and that specific location.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I've worked w/ Mojave desert tortoises since 1990 when they were given federal protection and listed federally as a Threatened species. I'm a USFWS Authorized Biologist, meaning I'm permitted by USFWS to handle them and train other biologists how to handle them so that they can become an A.B. too. 🌎

My trainee Sherry excavates a Mojave desert tortoise burrow as I show her how to safely capture a desert tortoise.

We are conducting a basic examination of a Mojave desert tortoise and I guide Sherry through taking measurements of the length of the tortoise's shell with a set of calipers for the USFWS.

We relocate our captured Mojave desert tortoise to a nearby shaded area that's a short distance away from the ROW for a planned substation construction project that will unfortunately displace this one.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I worked at Lake Mead from 1999 - 2010 as a wildlife biologist overseeing water infrastructure development for Las Vegas. The amount of Colorado River water dropped so fast that it threatened to expose water intakes on the island, so building a water intake under the lake bottom was fast tracked.🌍

Saddle Island at Lake Mead in 1999, where the water intakes for the city of Las Vegas NV are located

Saddle Island at Lake Mead in 2003, where the water intakes for the city of Las Vegas NV are located.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

I don’t want to brag, but… One of many festivals I’ve attended. The Kinks were incredible.

Poster for the lineup of the first US Festival

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I had the pleasure of standing in front of the stage and watching The Ramones perform at this benefit concert for KUNV college radio at UNLV where I helped w/ programming. Lead singer Joey Ramone was…intense. The title track “Animal Boy” is a barn-burner and must be played w/ the volume set to 11.

The Ramones play at UNLV Moyer Student Union Hall

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

This is the way it was during the construction of the second and third intakes by SNWA in the River Mountains at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Two male rams fight on a main access road for the River Mountains water treatment facility at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Two male rams fight at a watering location in the River Mountains in the Lake Mead National recreation Area.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

How about some photos from the work I did at Lake Mead National Recreation Area for the SNWA. I have a lot of Big Horn Sheep photos.

A young male ram at Lake Mead national recreation area in 1999

A male ram hiding in the shade of the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

And a very good night to you, you awesome Talking Heads drummer you. Loved you at the Greek Theater:

Concert poster for Talking Heads during their Speaking in Tongues tour, on August 29 and August 30, 1983

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

My job was a biological monitor for the wildlife, and also oversight of the construction because of federal permits for all of it, particularly for a National Recreation Area. One of the largest Bighorn sheep herds in NV is in the River Mountains (~250), and they would wander right through.

Two male rams, Bighorn sheep, fighting on a main access road for the SNWA River Mountains water pipeline construction project

A herd of rams, male Bighorn Sheep, hiding from the summer sun in a canyon of the River Mountains near construction for the SNWA water pipeline.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

SNWA built their second intake into Lake Mead between 1997-2010. I worked at the Lake, through the mountains and into the Las Vegas Valley. We all watched the water levels drop dramatically at Lake Mead during that time. Saddle Island in the Lake is where the water intake systems are installed:

Saddle Island at Lake Mead is where Las Vegas withdraws its water allowance from, changing from an island into a peninsula between 2000-2010 due to the water level significantly dropping.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

I was unfortunately there during part of the standoff. I worked for an enviro-consultant who had Overton Power District #5 as a client. I needed to collect seeds for restoration work on transmission lines that we had built through Bundy‘s grazing areas. Bundy posted a sign at one entrance ALT TEXT

Pictures from the Bundy Ranch standoff in 2014

Bundy Sign text: “We The People”, “This Is Our Land”, “No BLM”
“Take Your Turtles and Leave” - is a reference to the Mojave Desert tortoise, a federally protected Threatened Species that is found on some of Bundy’s grazing allotments and is the reason those permits were canceled. Bundy decided that the BLM no longer had any jurisdiction on federally managed lands.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I was out there the day of the standoff because the environmental company I was working for had Overton Power District #5 as a client for years. I needed to collect seeds for restoration work on transmission lines that we had just built through some of Bundy‘s grazing areas. Bundy posted a sign:

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Gold Butte absolutely deserved National Monument status to help protect it , including from illegal cattle grazing by Cliven Bundy which is still unfortunately going on. Just look at all the petroglyphs.

A petroglyph panel from the Gold Butte National Monument

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

As Mr. Garrison from South Park would say, “Merry f$&@ing Christmas to yoouu”!!!

The POTUS wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, except to all of the radical left scum!

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

The Colorado River is in crisis due to climate change, worsening regional drought conditions, and reducing the amount of water entering the river basin. The extreme water level drop at the Lake Mead reservoir can be seen in these two photographs from 1999 and 2010 🌎 lasvegassun.com/news/2025/de...

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

I was a biologist on the construction of the Ivanpah Electric Generating System (ISEGS) at the CA/NV state line at Primm, NV. It’s located next to Primm Valley Resorts golf course w/extensive water features, attracts many migratory birds that fly through the solar fields and can catch on fire.

Ivanpah Electric Generating System at Primm, NV

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

The Colorado River Basin provides water for 7 U.S. states, 2 states in Mexico, and 30 federally recognized tribes.The states CO, N.M., UT, WY (Upper Basin) and AZ, NV, CA (Lower Basin) are negotiating a new management plan because climate change has reduced the amount of water to near-record lows.🌎

The Upper and Lower Colorado Basin States

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) webpage, for some reason, adds that photo of pv panels to the article when the article is forwarded or shared. There’s no photo attached to the source. It should be this photo:

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

I’ve seen this anti-science attitude before when the Mojave desert tortoise was federally listed in 1989. There was significant backlash in the Las Vegas area from developers, homebuilders, and some government officials, w/ accusations of biologists in a federal government plot to hurt Las Vegas.

Article from December 5, 1989 from the Las Vegas Review Journal discussing construction work stoppage around the greater Las Vegas Valley due to the Mojave desert tortoise becoming federally listed

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Desert wildflowers for a Rose🌹

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

The Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper posted this photo earlier at the other place (X) of a marquee for a hotel casino off of the Las Vegas strip. Unfortunately, Kirk has a lot of fans in Las Vegas.

A photo of the marquee for the Sunset Station Casino in Henderson, Nevada, which states “In Loving Memory of Charlie Kirk 1993 - 2023

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

This little Mojave Desert tortoise that was wandering around on the main road for the Greenlink West NW material yard thought my boots were really interesting, and walked over to me to get a better look:

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

This map is from the material yard for Greenlink West off of US 95 at SR157 and as you can see, I have been dealing with many desert tortoises there. About half of the little desert tortoise symbols were mapped by me:

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

The problem w/ the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley is that it’s surrounded by two critically important conservation areas; to the west is the Tortoise Translocation Site where many Mojave Desert tortoises were moved to, out of the Las Vegas Valley starting in 1996

Proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport. Credit: Federal Aviation Administration

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

During this spring season there were quite a few Mojave Desert tortoises wandering around the Greenlink West transmission line southern end outside of Las Vegas. Fortunately, I didn’t have to handle any of them, I just needed to monitor them and made sure they stayed away from construction traffic.

A small 120 mm MCL sub-adult Mojave Desert tortoise.

A small 120 mm MCL Mojave Desert tortoise grazing

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Some Nevada public lands, particularly outside of the Las Vegas Valley, have been set aside for recovery efforts for the Mojave Desert tortoise, a federally protected Threatened Species. That was the deal; protect lands outside of the valley in exchange for removing them from inside the valley.

USFWS Desert tortoise connectivity areas deemed necessary for the long term survival of the species.

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Tammy Duckworth’s page is also showing her Bluesky address as ⚠Invalid Handle

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

My dad was a career USAF officer onboard B-52 aircraft as an Electronic Warfare Specialist and Navigator. I grew up on B-52 AFB’s around the country. Keesler outside of Biloxi MS: www.keesler.af.mil Walker outside of Roswell NM: www.wafbmuseum.org Elmendorf outside of Anchorage Ak: www.jber.jb.mil

This patch belongs to the 6th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) then used by the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing out of Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Rubio’s umbrella: cdn.sanity.io/images/dqlln...

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that this is why the 🍊💩 decided to impose tariffs on Canada…

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Randy Watkins @bluetortoise3.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Here's a photo I took just outside of Bunkerville/Mesquite on April 9, 2014 while I was looking for potential native plant seed collection sites for some restoration work for a new transmission line I handled. I drove right into the Bundy Standoff.

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