The Mojave Desert
Southern Nevada is in the middle of the Mojave Desert. If you take a trip outside the city, you will find the Mojave Desert.

Rainfall in the desert
A desert is defined by the amount of rain the area gets. The Mojave Desert is the driest desert in North America. We get about 4 inches of rain per year. Compare that to New York City's 42 inches per year!

Las Vegas is a city in the Mojave Desert. Houses and apartment buildings, shopping centers and hotels now cover the sand. People have learned to live in the Mojave Desert by getting most of our water from Lake Mead.

Wildlife in the desert
There are more than 200 native plant species in the Mojave Desert. Plants aren't the only things that live with us in the desert. Many forms of wildlife live here too.

They survive by learning how to store water. They don't use water bottles, and they can't go to the sink when they want water. The plants and animals in Nevada have learned to store water for times when there is no rain.

Nevada's wildlife are experts at conservation. Do you think you could be too? Read some fast facts about water conservation.