Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge

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The Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located 60 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada. The 106 acre refuge was created on September 10, 1979 and is part of the larger Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which also includes the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, and the Amargosa Pupfish Station.

The refuge was established to provide habitat for the endangered Moapa dace of which about 1,900 exist in the Muddy River area. The habitat on the refuge consists of stream channels feeding the Muddy River including six hot springs emerging near the center of the refuge.

[edit] History

Since the 1990's the dace have been in decline mainly due to habitat destruction and modification. Nearby groundwater pumping has decreased stream discharge and streamflows and decreased dace habitat. Competition with introduced species such as the mosquitofish and shortfin molly have also added to the dace's decline.

In August, 2005 the National Wildlife Refuge Association and again in September, 2005 the Defenders of Wildlife listed the Refuge as one of the 10 most endangered refuges in the United States.