Lake Mead serves as a crucial water source for Las Vegas and an economic engine for Nevada, generating over $350 million annually. For Riley Rackliffe, an aquatic ecologist, his work was essential in monitoring this vital reservoir. However, he was abruptly dismissed amid national park layoffs, jeopardizing ongoing research on dangerous organisms such as Naegleria fowleri. Rackliffe's termination exemplifies the chaotic management and potential risks to public safety as critical ecological studies are halted due to staff changes and lack of support.
"One irritating thing is how quickly it happened. We got the email and it was, 'You're terminated by the end of the day.'"
"That kind of chaos freezes important scientific findings in their tracks. I had research plans [that] were in the works, like we had purchased equipment."
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