Refuge Habitat

USFWS Photo

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located 90 miles north of Las Vegas, is an oasis in southern Nevada. Paiute Indians named this oasis in the desert's lakes and marshes "Pahranagat" or "a valley of shining waters." The refuge encompasses a ten mile stretch of Pahranagat Valley and associated desert uplands at an elevation of slightly less than 4,000 feet above sea level. The White River, an ancient perennial stream which was a tributary of the Colorado River, flowed through the Pahranagat Valley from the north. It established a well-defined, but relatively narrow flood plain. The river bed is dry for many miles upstream and downstream from Pahranagat Valley, but there is water in the valley that comes from large, thermal springs along the flood plain. This spring water is stored in the refuge's Upper Lake and North Marsh and is released to create conditions which will enhance the growth of wildlife food plants and to supplement lakes, marshes, and grasslands south of the refuge headquarters. Water from the springs rarely flows past Maynard Lake at the southern end of the refuge.

Pahranagat NWR was established in 1963. Pahranagat, as with many other National Wildlife Refuges, is located on the Pacific Flyway which stretches from Alaska/Canada to Mexico. The refuge hosts thousands of migratory birds each year. These migratory birds are attracted by Pahranagat's 5,380 acres of marshes, open water, native grass meadows, cultivated croplands, and riparian habitat.

Pahranagat's water originates from large springs to the north of the refuge and is managed to obtain the most value for wildlife. Various types of wetland habitats support many plants favored as food by over 230 species of migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge has four main water impoundments: North Marsh, Upper and Lower Lakes, and Middle Marsh. The North Marsh/Upper Lake is primarily used for water storage, but offers excellent habitat for waterfowl and other migratory and resident birds. Water stored here in the winter is used to maintain riparian and marsh habitat. The Middle Marsh, which is supplemented by small springs from within the refuge boundaries, catches and stores water released from the North Marsh/Upper Lake. The Lower Lake is the last water storage unit and impounds excess water from the Middle Marsh, North Marsh, and Upper Lake. The water in some of the marsh units is occasionally drawn down to encourage the decomposition of plant residue and promote vigorous plant growth. Fire is also used periodically to remove decadent stands of marsh vegetation and make essential nutrients available for the newly sprouting marsh plants.