Kirch Wildlife Management Area

The Nevada Department of Wildlife owns or has long-term leases on more than 155,000 acres of land incorporated into wildlife management areas (WMAs) across the state of Nevada. The primary conservation goal on WMAs is the protection of wetlands and waterfowl, including the use of WMAs for recreational hunting.

Settlement of the White River Valley progressed during the 1870s when isolated homesteads appeared, generally associated with meadows where a water supply was available. During the early 1900s, W. E. McGill and J. W. Adams formed the Adams-McGill Company which owned and operated a successful ranching empire for several decades with ranch land and associated federal rangeland totaling nearly 100,000 acres. Ervin Hendrix purchased the Sunnyside and Hot Creek Ranches in 1943 and operated the ranch for the next 16 years until 1959. The Nevada Fish and Game Commission recognized the wildlife potential of the property and purchased the area in 1959. In May 1968, the area was established as the Wayne E. Kirch WMA in honor of Fish and Game Commissioner Wayne E. Kirch of Clark County. Today, KWMA is composed of a total of 14,815 acres, including five major reservoirs

Located in the White River Valley in northeastern Nye County. State Route 318 is the major access route to the area. Ely is about 75 miles north of the area and Las Vegas is about 200 south of the area

Click on any point in the map to learn about the location or select a topic and scroll down to explore the Kirch WMA! To view the map legend, click the right hand arrow next to the the display image.

Between February 15 and August 15 a person shall not enter, occupy, use or be upon the following upper portion of Adams-McGill, Cold Springs, Dacey and Haymeadow reservoirs, as posted and all of Tule reservoir. Trespass prohibited from Feb. 15 through Aug. 15 in the upper portion of Adams-McGill, Cold Springs, Dacey and Haymeadow reservoirs, and all of Tule Reservoir.

Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, it is prohibited, within a wildlife management area, to operate a motor vehicle:

1. Off an interior road or trail that is designated for vehicular travel; or
2. On an interior road or trail that is marked as closed to vehicular travel. (Refer to NAC 504.115)

Vessels must be operated at a speed that leaves a flat wake, but in no case may exceed 5 nautical miles per hour. Only vessels without motors may be used on Dacey Reservoir from Feb. 15 through August 15. Flat wake restriction in effect all other dates.

Hunting is allowed every day for wildlife species upon which there is an established open season.

Discharging of a rifle or pistol is prohibited. Deer may be hunted only by persons using: 1. Shotguns and rifled shotgun slugs or shotgun rounds with sabots that contain a single expanding projectile; or 2. Bows and arrows. A shotgun that is used to hunt deer pursuant to this subsection may be equipped with a smoothbore barrel that is partially or fully rifled. The use or possession of shells for a shotgun containing shot that is toxic or larger than standard-size T is prohibited. The use of shotguns capable of holding more than three shells is prohibited on all wildlife management areas owned or managed by this State unless the shotgun is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so that the total capacity of the shotgun does not exceed three shells. The use or possession of shotgun rounds with sabots that contain other than rifled slugs of conventional design is prohibited on all wildlife management areas owned or managed by this State. (Refer to NAC 504.135)

Want to print a map before your visit? Free to download here:  Kirch WMA PDF Map 

Check out NDOW's other WMAs:  Alkali Lake  Argenta  Bruneau River   Carson Lake   Fernley   Franklin Lake   Humboldt   Key Pittman   Kirch   Mason Valley  Overton  Scripps   Steptoe Valley