California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Rainbow Basin/Owl Canyon
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a scenic value, a natural process and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 2 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 4,104 acres and was designated September 14, 2016, in the CDCA Plan, as amended by DRECP. In the plan's name, CDCA stands for California Desert Conservation Area and DRECP for Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
One of the 1,120 places the Bureau of Land Management has designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. This page shows its line, what BLM found there and what sits inside it.
The line
The rights of way
2 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 2 under non-energy facilities.
- CALIFORNIA DESERT DISTRICT OFFICE2rights of way
The nearest areas
- Coolgardie MesaCalifornia · 13,253 acres · at least 3 active mining claims and 5 more BLM lists as Filed, 2 rights of way5miles
- Superior-CroneseCalifornia · 518,461 acres · at least 429 active mining claims and 244 more BLM lists as Filed or Under Review, 55 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it6miles
- Black MountainCalifornia · 61,721 acres · at least 5 mining claims BLM lists as Filed10miles
- West ParadiseCalifornia · 1,232 acres · nothing placed inside11miles
- Harper Dry LakeCalifornia · 485 acres · 2 rights of way14miles
Next to it
Superior-Cronese Area of Critical Environmental Concern touches the line.
More from BLM's California office
Every area BLM's California office holdsThe proposed rule
A proposed rule, RIN 1004-AF53, would change how BLM drafts every land use plan, and how it designates ACECs like Rainbow Basin/Owl Canyon. The comment window hasn't opened: the proposed rule wasn't in the Federal Register at our last check. The Watch sends one email the day it prints.
The rule's abstract
The purpose of this rulemaking is to establish in regulations an updated process for the approval of the development, revision, amendment, and maintenance of land use plans, as provided for by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Additionally, this rulemaking will provide clarification of the process the BLM uses for designating Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.Unified Agenda entry for RIN 1004-AF53, Publication ID 2026, reginfo.gov (OMB OIRA), read Oct 18, 2026