Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Nature reserve in Clark County, Nevada.

Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 106-acre (43 ha) reserve in the Warm Springs Natural Area of Clark County, Nevada, 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Its stream channels feed the Muddy River, and six hot springs emerge near the center of the refuge.

The refuge was established in 1979 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the highly endangered Moapa dace fish species in the Muddy River system. The refuge was created in response to dramatic population decline caused by water diversion and habitat loss in the region.

The refuge allows visitors to understand how desert wetlands support wildlife and what species depend on these habitats to survive. Educational displays on site help people grasp the relationship between water, plants, and animals in arid regions.

The refuge lies in the Warm Springs Natural Area of the Moapa Valley, 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas and east of Death Valley, reached by road from the Moapa area. Trails cross stream channels fed by the hot springs, so expect wet ground beside desert soil. Check current opening days and hours with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before setting out.

Six hot springs emerge near the centre of the refuge, feeding the stream channels that run to the Muddy River. The Moapa dace, a small endangered fish, lives in these waters; about 1,900 were counted in the Muddy River area. Its decline has been tied to groundwater pumping that lowered streamflows and to introduced mosquitofish and shortfin molly.