Features
When to Visit?
For the month of September the refuge will be open Friday through Sunday, 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Plan Your Visit
Damsels & Dragons
Discover colorful dragonflies and damselflies on this ranger guided program. Oct. 1st 2016
Learn more.
New Film!
Discover the magic of Moapa Valley NWR's wildlife in this new HD film.
View film
Small but Special!!!
Discover five tiny creatures found only in the warm springs of Moapa Valley.
View Gallery
Moapa dace population counts
The most recent count of Moapa dace took place on August 9-10, 2016, with staff from the Service, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority teaming to perform a physical count of the fish throughout the Muddy River System. The results of the survey showed a decrease in dace from the total counted in August 2015. However, biologists are not concerned with the drop in population, because the fish appear healthy and they are reproducing.
More...About the Complex
The complex also oversees Ash Meadows, Desert, and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuges in southern Nevada.
Moapa Valley is managed as part of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Learn more about the complex About the NWRS
The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.
Learn more about the NWRS
Protecting the Moapa dace
When it was established in 1979, the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge was the first refuge in the country created to protect a fish; the Moapa dace...
Learn more about the Moapa dace...
Did you know?
Prior to acquisition, part of what is now the refuge was developed and operated as a resort, with swimming pools, bath houses, snack bars, and recreational vehicle hook-ups. The springs are thermal in nature and have an average annual water temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit at their points of discharge.
Page Photo Credits — All photos courtesy of USFWS unless otherwise noted.
Last Updated: Sep 13, 2016