Description:
The Moapa Valley Refuge was established on September 10, 1979, to secure habitat for the endangered Moapa dace. This small fish, the sole member of the genus Moapa, is endemic to the Muddy River system. Dace populations have declined due to habitat destruction and the introduction of nonnative fish species.
This modest refuge--106 acres--located in Clark County, Nevada, 60 miles north of Las Vegas, is critical to prevent extinction of the Moapa dace. Dace habitat on the refuge consists of stream channels supported by six thermal springs emerging near the center of the refuge. Moapa Refuge is a unit of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex.