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A narrow stream winds through golden marsh grasses at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Ruby Lake Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge © Simon Williams/TNC

Stories in Nevada

Groundwater: Nevada’s Hidden Resource

Tools and resources share the importance of the state’s groundwater for future generations of people and nature.

With an average of less than 10 inches of rainfall each year, Nevada is the nation’s driest state. However, underground water supplements rainfall to enable incredible biodiversity in Nevada. The Silver State has the 11th highest biodiversity in the U.S., with more than 300 species found nowhere else in the world.

Here in Nevada and around the world, groundwater is a precious resource, as it supports our ecosystems and communities. Most of the world's liquid freshwater is groundwater, which supports clean drinking water, farming, ecosystems, industries and more, and is essential for helping us adapt to climate change. Learn about the importance of Nevada's groundwater-dependent ecosystems and how they support the state's incredible biodiversity.

Nevada's Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs)

  • Green paw prints icon.

    >40%

    of Nevada's 300+ endemic species rely on GDEs

  • Green cattails icon.

    2M

    acres of Nevada (3% of the state) is wetlands

  • Green marsh icon.

    600,000

    acres of habitat are supported by Nevada's rivers & streams

  • River icon.

    >25,000

    springs are found in Nevada

Why Groundwater Matters

Vivid dancer damselfly Aquatic insects like the damselfly use GDEs for part of their life cycle. © Janel Johnson/Nevada Natural Heritage Program
Turtles at River Fork Ranch The Western Pond Turtle lives in northwest Nevada in perennial water bodies, which are fed by groundwater, like the Truckee and Carson Rivers or nearby ponds. © Doug Dill
Crystal Spring at Ash Meadows Ash Meadows, a GDE, is a biodiversity hotspot, supporting more than 30 plants and animals that don't exist anywhere else in the United States. © Stan Shebs
Maggie Creek Perennial streams like Maggie Creek flow year-round because of groundwater inputs. © Jacob Burdick
Bighorn Sheep Because of the arid nature of Nevada, many mammals use groundwater sources when they are available. © Andrew Cattoir/NPS
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) Nevada has many native and endemic fish species thanks to its geologic history and isolated waterbodies. Nevada’s perennial streams and lakes support native fish like the LCT. © Simon Williams/TNC
American white pelican Nevada's wetlands are critical stops for migrating birds as places to rest and forage. Pelicans are one of many bird species that depend on GDEs. © Simon Williams/TNC
Clean drinking water Groundwater helps provide clean drinking water for our communities. © Michael D-L Jordan/dlp
Springsnails Wet systems support freshwater snails that occur in springs, or springsnails. Over 100 of these species have been documented in Nevada, many of which occur in only one spring. © Courtesy Laurel Saito
Angler on the Truckee River Nevada's groundwater dependent ecosystems support people too, and our favorite outdoor recreational activities and economies. © Chip Carroon/TNC

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems

The precious underground water resources in the Silver State are increasingly being tapped, with more than a third of the thousands of groundwater wells in Nevada having significantly declining groundwater levels over past decades. Because surface water is scarce, many of Nevada’s native species depend on groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), which are natural communities that rely on groundwater for all or part of their water needs. GDEs provide important resources for plants and animals and are critical sources of drinking water, recreation and economic benefit for Nevada’s people.

Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems This map shows the number of GDE types in Nevada. The darker the color, the more groundwater dependent ecosystems are present. In the story map, you can explore the five general categories of iGDEs in the state. © Sarah Byer/TNC

iGDE Story Map and Database

TNC scientists developed the Indicators of Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems (iGDEs) database, a publicly available electronic resource that reveals critical sources of water hidden below the soil surface in Nevada. The mobile-friendly database is a visual and spatial illustration of the state’s GDEs, their various types, their distinctive features and species dependent on them. Users can click to see examples of GDEs and species, learn definitions of various terms and more. Presented through an interactive, user-friendly story map, the database is intended to provide Nevadans with in-depth, relevant, easy-to-understand facts about where the state’s groundwater dependent ecosystems are located and why they’re important.

  • Landscape view of a body of water in a lush green marsh landscape.

    iGDEs Story Map

    The Indicators of Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems (iGDEs) database provides information about Nevada's groundwater resources and the ecosystems they support. Explore

TNC developed the database as part of a mutually beneficial partnership with the Nevada Department of Wildlife that we hope will engage individuals, state agencies and private entities in using the information to improve land- and water-management practices. Inspired by California’s iGDE database, the Nevada iGDE database drew upon the best available data from TNC in Nevada, as well as the LANDFIRE Program, the Desert Research Institute in Reno, the NNHP and the Spring Stewardship Institute's Springs Online resource. This database is the first of its kind to contain extensive Nevada GDE information from all these sources. Data are current as of June 2019. 

Aerial view of a large green area with a body of water within a vast dry desert.
Baltazor Hot Springs Aerial photo of Baltazor Hot Springs, one of many hot springs that occur throughout Nevada. © David Page/Desert Research Institute

Assessment of Stressors and Threats to GDEs in Nevada

Using the iGDE database and additional available data, TNC looked at stressors (things currently impacting GDEs) and threats (risks to GDEs in the future) across Nevada within five themes: groundwater withdrawals, climate, ungulates, non-native species and additional impacts due to human development. You can find out more about this report that was completed in 2022 here.

Though it's not always visible, groundwater is essential for people and nature in Nevada. We must work together to protect and sustainably manage this precious hidden resource.

Laurel Saito

Nevada Water Strategy Director

Strategies for Managing and Sustaining GDEs

See our report on ten strategies for managing and sustaining GDEs that include science and monitoring strategies, policy strategies, management strategies, and education and outreach strategies.

Learn More about Groundwater Science

To learn more about TNC’s work on groundwater and groundwater-dependent ecosystems, please visit the Groundwater Resource Hub.

Learn More about Nevada's Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems