Moapa Valley, Nevada

Moapa Valley, Nevada
—  Unincorporated town  —
Location of Moapa Valley in Clark County, Nevada
Coordinates: 36°34′28″N 114°27′29″W / 36.57444°N 114.45806°W / 36.57444; -114.45806Coordinates: 36°34′28″N 114°27′29″W / 36.57444°N 114.45806°W / 36.57444; -114.45806
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Area
- Total	43.7 sq mi (113.2 km2)
- Land	43.6 sq mi (112.8 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation	1,335 ft (407 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,784
- Density	159.8/sq mi (61.7/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
FIPS code	32-47880
GNIS feature ID	1867349
Website	Moapa Valley Town Advisory Board

Moapa Valley is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The valley in which the community lies, also named Moapa Valley, is about 40 miles (64 km) long and lies roughly northwest to southeast.

Geography

The Muddy River, formerly called the Moapa River, originates from the Warm Springs Natural Area, and flows through the valley before emptying into Lake Mead. The towns of Moapa, Logandale and Overton are located in the valley. Logandale is about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Moapa and Overton is about 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Logandale. Prior to the creation of Lake Mead, Moapa Valley also included the town of St. Thomas, which was abandoned in 1938 due to the rising lake level. The population was 5,784 at the 2000 census.

From Moapa Valley, looking east towards the Mormon Mesa

Moapa Valley is at an elevation of 1,265 ft (386 m) above sea level. The United States Census Bureau gives the census-designated place (CDP) of Moapa Valley (which may not coincide exactly with the town boundaries) a total area of 43.7 square miles (113 km²), of which, 43.6 square miles (113 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 5,784 people, 1,934 households, and 1,525 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 132.7 people per square mile (51.3/km²). There were 2,213 housing units at an average density of 50.8 per square mile (19.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.41% White, 0.24% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.36% Pacific Islander, 4.34% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.09% of the population.

There were 1,934 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.8% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.43.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 33.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $39,942, and the median income for a family was $47,575. Males had a median income of $42,348 versus $26,442 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,696. About 5.7% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

Native American

The Moapa Valley was originally settled by the Anasazi people around 350 B.C. Around 500 A.D., farming supplanted hunting as the major food source for the people known as "Basketmakers". It was also around this time that the art of pottery was introduced. By 600 A.D. the people, now known as "Puebloans", began building their dwellings above ground, using wood and brush plastered with Adobe. Farming was a well-established practice with corn, beans, squash, and cotton being the primary crops. The Puebloans also hunted Mule deer, desert big horn sheep, rabbits, and rodents using the bow and arrow.

Around 1000 A.D. Southern Paiutes moved into the Moapa Valley area. The Paiutes were hunter-gatherers who did not utilize agriculture as a primary source of subsistence. They lived in temporary brush dwellings, spoke the Southern Paiute language, and practiced a style of pottery that was less sophisticated to the methods used by the Anasazi. The Paiutes and Anasazi people coexisted with little effort in the valley.

Sometime around 1150 A.D., the Anasazi abandoned Moapa Valley possibly due to a drought which gripped the Desert Southwest during that time. When the first European settlers arrived, the Paiutes were relocated to a reservation north of Moapa where they continue to live today.

Settlers

The first Euroamerican settlers in the Moapa Valley were Mormon pioneers in the latter 1880s. The area has remained heavily populated by Mormons to present time. Many streets bear the names of prominent Mormon families (e.g. Barlow, Hinckley, Leavitt, Lyman, Perkins [1], Whitmore, Wells, and Andersen). The LDS Logandale Stake has thirteen wards.

Radio stations

There are four radio stations licensed to Moapa Valley. KRRN 92.7 has a Spanish format. KXLI 94.5 has a dance format mainly targeted to Las Vegas. KJUL 104.7 has a MOR format. KQLL has simulcast on of Henderson, Nevada's 1280 AM on 102.3 FM, with is a News/Talk format.

See also

• Lost City Museum
• Pueblo Grande de Nevada

References

1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

• Olson, Kathryne & Pat Olson. (1985). Nevada's Lost City: A Treasure Trove of Mystery. The Nevada Humanities Committee.
• UNLV - Anthropology Department

External links

• Moapa Valley Town Advisory Board
• Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce