Bureau of Reclamation Continues Contribution to Las Vegas Wash ...

Nonstop bulldozers, crashing boulders, heavy-duty trucks and 10 hour days! This is the life for Bureau of Reclamation's specialized construction crew. These highly trained teams are an important and valuable part to the restoration process taking place at the Las Vegas Wash.

What makes these construction operators so unique are their years of highly specialized training and involvement with environmentally sensitive projects. From high mountain streams and endangered fish to wide-open prairies of sensitive habitat, these operators are not only environmentally friendly but environmentally helpful.

The BOR crew began work the week of February 1, 2005 and completed operations on May 26, 2005. Operations this construction season were enhanced by the crew being flown to and from their home base in Provo, Utah, resulting in added time on the jobsite

The Bureau of Reclamation has assisted with channel stabilization activities on the Wash since 2001. Thus far, their crews have constructed  three erosion control structures (Monson, Visitor Center Weirs, and Calico Ridge Weirs), and have maintained and conducted flood damage repair, and installed several thousands of feet of bank protection. Other projects include building the constructed wetlands pond at the Henderson Water Reclamation Facility. To date the Bureau of Reclamation’s construction efforts on the Wash have saved the public over $10 million in commercial construction costs.

Bank Protection
During this last round of work, the BOR installed bank protection the Duck Creek confluence, Historic Lateral North and South, Pabco Road South and Rainbow Gardens North.  The Rainbow Gardens project was an impressive effort to knock down the unstable and hazardous 40-foot eroded cliffs on the north side of the Wash, and laying them back to conform with the surrounding higher natural slopes.

N. Rainbow Garden Bank Protection

Additional Maintenance
Due to the proliferation willows and other woody plants growing on the middle of several weirs, BOR crews spent time removing these to return the weirs to full functionality.  The thick material tends to resist higher flows and therefore increases the potential for flooding.  To eliminate a developing erosion problem across the site 108 revegetation area during storm events, crews constructed approximately 20 small erosion drop structures.  The BOR crews also cleared an approximate 5-acre area of tamarisk that was used as a Green-Up site this spring.

The contributions from the BOR are enormous and the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee is glad that the Wash continues to benefit from those contributions. Keep checking the website for more updates on the ever changing Las Vegas Wash!