Las Vegas Wash
Encyclopedia
Las Vegas Wash is a 12 mile-long channel which feeds most of Las Vegas Valley's
excess water into Lake Mead
. The wash is sometimes called an urban river, and it exists in its present capacity because of an urban population. The wash also works in a systemic conjunction with the pre-existing wetlands that formed the oasis
of the Las Vegas Valley. The wash is fed by urban runoff, shallow ground water, reclaimed water, and stormwater
.
The wetlands of the Las Vegas Valley act as the kidneys of the environment
, cleaning the water that runs through it. The wetlands filter out harmful residues from fertilizers, oils, and other contaminants that can be found on the roadways and in the surrounding desert
.
Near its terminus at Las Vegas Bay
, the wash passes under the man made Lake Las Vegas
through two 7 foot pipes.
plant went on line, the flows began increasing to the point that the channel expanded in size as the increased flows eroded the wash's stream-banks.
This erosion also deepened the channel draining one of the largest desert wetland
s in the U.S.
southwest as the water flowed down the channel rather than flooding the wetlands area. This has had several consequences among them, increased flows of silt into Lake Mead, fewer migratory birds, reduced water polishing from the native plants, and infestation of invasive plant species such as African Tamarisk (Tamarix africana) and Sahara Mustard (Brassica tournefortii
).
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
excess water into Lake Mead
Lake Mead
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam, it extends behind the dam, holding approximately of water.-History:The lake was...
. The wash is sometimes called an urban river, and it exists in its present capacity because of an urban population. The wash also works in a systemic conjunction with the pre-existing wetlands that formed the oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
of the Las Vegas Valley. The wash is fed by urban runoff, shallow ground water, reclaimed water, and stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
.
The wetlands of the Las Vegas Valley act as the kidneys of the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, cleaning the water that runs through it. The wetlands filter out harmful residues from fertilizers, oils, and other contaminants that can be found on the roadways and in the surrounding 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...
.
Near its terminus at Las Vegas Bay
Las Vegas Bay
Las Vegas Bay is a bay at the western edge of Lake Mead in the U.S. state of Nevada. The bay is located within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the northeast of the city of Henderson, Nevada, near the junction of Lake Mead Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard. A public campground and boat access...
, the wash passes under the man made Lake Las Vegas
Lake Las Vegas
Lake Las Vegas is located in Henderson, Nevada. Lake Las Vegas refers to both a man made lake and to the area built around the lake. The area is sometimes referred to as the Lake Las Vegas Resort...
through two 7 foot pipes.
History
Before development in the valley above the wash, it was able to contain the flows from rain water that fell in the valley and hills above. When the first sewage treatmentSewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
plant went on line, the flows began increasing to the point that the channel expanded in size as the increased flows eroded the wash's stream-banks.
This erosion also deepened the channel draining one of the largest desert wetland
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....
s in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
southwest as the water flowed down the channel rather than flooding the wetlands area. This has had several consequences among them, increased flows of silt into Lake Mead, fewer migratory birds, reduced water polishing from the native plants, and infestation of invasive plant species such as African Tamarisk (Tamarix africana) and Sahara Mustard (Brassica tournefortii
Brassica tournefortii
The mustard species Brassica tournefortii is known by the common names Asian mustard, African mustard, and Sahara mustard, and is well-known as an invasive species, especially in California....
).
Inflows
The major natural sources that feed the wash are:- Duck Creek
- Las Vegas Creek
- Flamingo Wash
- Pittman Wash
- Monson Channel
- Sloan Channel
- Meadows Detention Basin
- Tule Springs Wash