ROAD CONDITIONS 

All roads within Sheldon NWR are not maintained in the winter, with the exception of Highway 140. Exercise extreme caution when attempting to use 8A, 34A, or any other road within Sheldon NWR during the winter as they become impassable and are not maintained. Check with Nevada 511 (nvroads.com) for current conditions on Highway 140 through Sheldon NWR. 

  • Virgin Valley Road, 34A, and 8A are passable.

  • Virgin Valley Campground is open to first come, first serve.

Road conditions are subject to change quickly due to weather. Please be well informed and well equipped for backcountry travel. Check current state road conditions here: Oregon road conditions; Nevada road conditions

Use caution as roads may be marked open yet road conditions can change quicky and become inaccessible.  Refuge roads can become hazardous and impassable due to storm events, drifting snow, or wet and muddy conditions. Expect little to no cell service in the Refuge and help could be hours away. Be prepared and carry a shovel, fire extinguisher, tire chains, warm layers such as blankets or a sleeping bag, first aid kit, emergency food, and at least one extra gallon per person of water in your vehicle.

Prevent the spread of Invasive Species: Remove debris, mud, and vegetation from bottom of vehicles before traveling into the Refuge to prevent invasive weeds from spreading.

DRINKING WATER NOTICE
Monitoring requirements not met for
VIRGIN VALLEY CAMPGROUND FWS NV0002543


We violated one or more drinking water requirements. Even thought this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.

We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. During Quarter 1 2025, we did not properly monitor for coliform and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time.

What This Means
There is nothing you need to do at this time. The information below lists the contaminant(s) we did not properly test for, how often we are supposed to sample (frequency) and how many samples we are supposed to take, how many samples we took, when samples should have been taken, and the date on which follow-up samples were (or will be) taken.

  • Contaminant: Total coliform Rule, Revised

  • Required Samling Frequency: 1 Per Quarter

  • Number of Valid Samples Taken: 0

  • When samples should have been taken: January 01, 2025-March 31, 2025

  • When samples were or will be taken: 6/24/2025, 9/30/25

 

Steps We Are Taking
Samples were submitted for Quarters 2 and 3. All samples were negative for coliform and showed that we are meeting drinking water standards.

For more information, please contact Carissa Callison, Refuge Manager at 541.238.4536

*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.*