MV water goes to help bighorn herds
The Moapa Valley Water District recently stepped up to help with wildlife conservation efforts in the surrounding region. The district donated 10,000 gallons of water to a Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) project to save desert bighorn sheep herds in the Muddy Mountains from starvation because of drought.
The Muddy Mountain bighorn sheep herd has increased in numbers since a plentiful rainfall year in 2023. On one hand that is good for the Nevada State animal. But on the other hand, it brings increased competition when resources become more scarce. This can lead to a situation where the carrying capacity, or the ability of the land to support wildlife, is exceeded.
That is exactly what has happened in the Muddy Mountains area this year. No measurable rain has fallen in southern Nevada in more than 200 days. The monsoon seasons that usually bring rain in late summer never developed in 2024. That has left the usual watering spots in the Muddy Mountains area parched.
At the end of 2024, NDOW organized an initiative to haul thousands of gallons of water to areas that are particularly hard hit. Officials from the Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA) approached MVWD to see if local water could be used to help the Muddy Mountain herds.
“Benny Vann from the OWMA called and explained what they needed and asked if we would be willing to donate water that they could haul out there for the wildlife,” said MVWD General Manager Joe Davis. “We were happy to help.”
In late December, NDOW crews filled up tanks of MVWD water and transported it to guzzling stations in the Muddy Mountain range. They hoped that this would help in preventing the herd from being severely thinned by starvation.
Davis explained that the district has stepped up to help during past dry years with similar NDOW efforts. “We like to be a good partner and help out wherever we can,” he added.