In the interest of public safety, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has closed the northern end of Mormon Well Road on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge north of Las Vegas. A flash flood in the Sheep Range on Monday afternoon, Aug.13, caused extensive damage to the road.

Mormon Well Road is closed to all traffic from U.S. 93 to the Desert Pass Campground. The route is barricaded and will remain closed until further notice. The Service is assessing the damage to determine how long it will take to repair the road.

Mormon Well Road is open to traffic on its southern end from Corn Creek to the Desert Pass Campground. The campground remains open at this time.

It is a federal offense to move or otherwise alter a barricade for the purpose of accessing the closed portion of the road. Anyone moving, modifying or stealing a barricade will be stopped and cited by Service Law Enforcement Officers.

Please visit the Desert National Wildlife Refuge website at www.fws.gov/ desertcomplex/HYPERLINK "http://www.fws.gov/%20desertcomplex/desertrange" HYPERLINK "http://www.fws.gov/%20desertcomplex/desertrange"desertrange for updated information or contact the wildlife refuge by phone at 702-879-6110.

The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 23 miles north of Las Vegas on U.S. Highway 95. Signs on both the east and west sides of the highway mark the turnoff to the 4-mile gravel road leading to Corn Creek. The wildlife refuge was established May 20, 1936, for the conservation and development of wildlife resources, including the desert bighorn sheep. At 1.6 million acres, it is the largest national wildlife refuge in the continental United States.