Las Vegas Springs Preserve
Encyclopedia
Las Vegas Valley Water District
The Las Vegas Valley Water District is a not-for-profit water supply agency that has been providing water to the Las Vegas Valley since 1954...
. The Preserve is located approximately three miles west of downtown Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The Preserve is built around the original water source for Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Springs
Las Vegas Springs
The Las Vegas Springs or Big Springs is the site of a natural oasis, known traditionally as a cienega. For more than 15,000 years, springs broke through the desert floor, creating grassy meadows . The bubbling springs were a source of water for Native Americans living here at least 5,000 years ago...
.
The Springs Preserve includes colorful desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s, museum galleries, outdoor concert and event venues, an indoor theater, historic photo gallery and a series of walking trails that meander through a wetland habitat
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
.
The Gardens at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve
The Gardens at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve
The Gardens at the Springs Preserve, is an desert botanical garden located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gardens are currently located in the Las Vegas Springs Preserve at 333 S...
, previously known as the Desert Demonstration Gardens
The Gardens at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve
The Gardens at the Springs Preserve, is an desert botanical garden located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gardens are currently located in the Las Vegas Springs Preserve at 333 S...
opened in 1980 at another location. The gardens now occupy 8 acre (3.2 ha) within the Springs Preserve site.
History
U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 is a north–south U.S. highway in the western United States. Unlike many other US highways, it has not seen deletion or replacement on most of its length by an encroaching Interstate highway corridor, due to its mostly rural course...
had been erected earlier. There also was work over the years to maintain and restore the springs, the waterworks
WaterWorks
WaterWorks is a water park owned by Cedar Fair, located at the back of Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. When it debuted in 1992, it was originally named Hurricane Reef...
and infrastructure of the springs. The Preserve opened on June 8, 2007.
Green building efforts
The Preserve shows people how to live in the desert environment and how to take advantage of what is available. Part of this project showcases a dual use concept. For example, the parking area is actually the roof of the reservoir and the shade structures in various areas are photovoltaic cells used to generate power for the site.The gardens also use a fleet of hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
powered utility vehicle
Utility vehicle
Utility vehicle is used to describe a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed for a specific task.-Sport utility vehicle:Vehicles similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis, usually with off-road capability....
s. The vehicles are refueled on site by a solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
ed hydrogen fueling station.
Major exhibits
- Origen Experience is composed of three interactive exhibits. Each exhibit is filled with stories about the Las Vegas Valley, following a natural progression from the past to the present.
- Desert Living Center is a campus of Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignLeadership in Energy and Environmental DesignLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
(LEED) buildings and features interactive galleries, educational opportunities, a design lab and technical training center. The Center leads by example, using sustainable architecture, interactive exhibits and programming to show Las Vegas residents how to conserve water and live sustainably in the desert. With exhibits designed by AldrichPears AssociatesAldrichPears AssociatesAldrichPears Associates is an interpretive planning and exhibit design firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They specialize in developing immersive, interactive and hands-on interpretive experiences for mission-driven museums, science centers, interpretive centers, zoos, aquariums,...
, architecture by Lucchesi Galati Architects, and landscape architecture by Deneen Powell Atelier, the Center won the award for Best Public Green Building Project in Nevada in 2007. - Trails -- Walk four uniquely-themed trails that encompass more than 1.8 miles (2.9 km) of picturesque landscapes leading to a cienega.
- Springs Preserve amphitheater Las Vegas' only intimate outdoor venue surrounded by museums and gardens.
- Nevada State MuseumNevada State Museum, Las VegasThe Nevada State Museum, located at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, in Las Vegas, Nevada is one of 6 Nevada State Museums operated by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs. It is also known as Nevada State Museum & Historical Society...
a new building for the museum with an expected opening in 2010. - Nature ExchangeNature ExchangeThe Nature Exchange is a specialized learning environment that encourages people to explore nature and actively observe, collect, study and share the world around them. It is a turn-key exhibit, now used in nature-based institutions around North America...
: A small exhibit located in the desert living center. This exhibit is aimed towards children but encourages adults to participate. The Nature Exchange is a unique learning environment that relies on the personal "trading" of found natural items and information about them, to motivate interest and understanding. The trader receives points depending on rarity and size of the object that him/her are trading. (One can not exchange objects from national parks, state parks, or the Springs Preserve.)
Sources
- Las Vegas Springs Preserve
- Las Vegas Review-JournalLas Vegas Review-JournalThe Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
- Las Vegas SunLas Vegas SunThe Las Vegas Sun is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper. It is one of Las Vegas, Nevada's two daily newspapers. It is owned by the Greenspun family and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group....
- Official Nature Exchange site
External links
- Las Vegas Springs Preserve
- Official State of Nevada Tourism Site
- Review of the Las Vegas Springs Preserve (Living in Las Vegas Podcast)
36.170785°N 115.190535°W