Avi Kwa Ame National Monument ~ Monsoonal Transformation

Bottom images: Mikayla Whitmore. Top image: Alan O’Neill

SEPTEMBER 2025

Dramatic bursts of monsoonal rain in late August have brought layers of change to Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. Dry arroyos became fast moving creeks, granite tanks (depressions in rock faces) got filled with fresh water, and vernal pools became stages for the most water-dependent forms of desert life. In the temporary pools around the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, keep an eye out for tiny desert shrimp (known as fairy shrimp) and red spotted toads—creatures whose life cycles depend on the monsoon season. Rare native grasses will begin to spring up throughout the monument this month (just in time for our upcoming native grasses hike with naturalist Laura Cunningham). The back roads of the monument have also been somewhat transformed—OHV drivers should navigate with extra caution as many of these roads have washouts and may not look or act the same since the recent rain. Ready to dive in? Learn more about fairy shrimp and the desert’s temporary pools in this video from the Southern Nevada Conservancy.