Las Vegas Wash Prescribed Burns

2005 was a banner year for prescribed burns at the Wash, with two burns conducted in the month of November. The LVWCC has conducted five burns since 2003 and more are planned for the 75 plus acres of tamarisk slated for removal over the next few years. The prescribed burns are coordinated by the LVWCC on behalf of the Clark County Wetlands Park.

Video of the January 9, 2007 controlled burn.

Prescribed burning is an important management tool in the Las Vegas Wash weed management program, reducing more than 50 acres of tamarisk and other invasive weeds to ashes over a matter of days. As large areas of tamarisk are cleared with heavy equipment or cut with chainsaws, the material is assembled into piles in designated stockpile areas and burned by the Nevada Division of Forestry Fire Crews under a permit with the Clark County Fire Department. By burning the cut tamarisk the volume of material sent to the landfill is reduced dramatically providing a cost savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as reducing the fuel load at the Wash, hopefully resulting in fewer wildfires. The Nevada Division of Forestry conducts the burns as part of their fuels mitigation and hazardous fuels reduction programs. Approval to burn is received from the Clark County Fire Department and Clark County Air Quality Management.

Tamarisk trees, which pose a wildfire hazard, also consume water that is channeled down the wash to Lake Mead. Photo by Clint Karlsen. Las Vegas Review Journal, April 10th, 2003.

During the burns, the Burn Boss and Safety Officer monitor the fire behavior and smoke plume for potential problems and spot checks are made for escaped fires. Post fire watch is on site after the burn along with security to help secure and monitor the site.

The burn program involves the coordination of more than five project partners, a lengthy permitting process, extensive notifications to the community, and very specific wind, temperature and other weather conditions requirements. Exhaustive safety measures are taken to maintain control of the prescribed fires resulting in more prescribed burns being called off due to weather than actually being conducted.

Prescribed burns always make great opportunities to bring media attention to the project. Over the years news broadcasts and newspapers have covered the prescribed burn program bringing positive publicity for the Clark County Wetlands Park, Las Vegas Wash, Nevada Division of Forestry and Clark County Fire Department.

The Burns

Visitor Center Weir - April 2003
The first prescribed burn was conducted on April 9, 10. Sixteen acres of tamarisk (1,500 cubic yards) consolidated into twelve piles was burned during the prescribed fire. Eight piles were burned on the first day, 4 piles were burned on the second day and mop up was completed on the third day. The location of the burn was on County property, east of the Clark County Nature Preserve off of Hollywood Boulevard.

Demonstration Weir - December 2003
Approximately 2.3 acres of tamarisk and reeds were burned upstream of the Demonstration Weir on December 9. The material was cut to make way for the bank stabilization at the Demonstration Weir and clear an area for revegetation of native species along the Wash channel. The material was mechanically cleared from the soil by root plowing or cut with chainsaws. The debris (approximately 3,035 cubic yards) was placed in three (3) slash piles for burning. The burn was successfully completed in one day with mop up and spot checks continuing for several days thereafter.

Hand crews ‘chunk’ the piles after the initial flame dies down to
break up material for a cleaner more consistent burn.

Bostick Weir - November 2005
Under an early fall sky, a warm glow could be seen in the Clark County Wetlands Park on November 8. After three attempts, fouled by inclement weather conditions, six tamarisk windrows consisting of nearly 2,700 cubic yards of material were burned. The 8.7 acres of tamarisk cut to make room for the Calico Weir and other revegetation sites, were quickly reduced to ash within one day. This was the third prescribed burn conducted at the Clark County Wetlands Park since 2003. Channel 13 covered the story on their evening news broadcast.

S108 - November 2005
In the evening of November 28th a prescribed burn was conducted on the south side of the Wash near Pabco road and Sunset, north of the City of Henderson Water Reclamation District. More than sixty acres of tamarisk and other weeds were cleared from the site to make room for a mesquite bosque just weeks earlier. The burn was conducted in tandem with chipping a portion of the material at the site, and the volume burned has not yet calculated. In total approximately 40 acres of tamarisk was removed and both chipped material and ash was removed from the site. The burn was conducted over several days and was the largest burn yet. The site will be planted in the spring of 2006, beginning with the March Green-Up.

Bostick Weir- January 2007
On January 9, 2007 a controlled burn was conducted by the Nevada Division of Forestry on the north side of the Las Vegas Wash across from the Bostick Weir with great success.  Approximately 52 personnel conducted the burn. This was the fifth burn at the Las Vegas Wash and reduced over 8,300 cubic yards of tamarisk material to less than 60 cubic yards.  The management and reduction of this invasive weed is a high priority for the Wash Team in meeting their restoration goals. Using this method of removal is a cost effective way for the Wash Team to remove large quantities of tamarisk.  Had the debris been excavated and hauled out in dumpsters this project would have cost over $150,000.  By burning this project cost approximately $50,000 saving the Las Vegas Wash project approximately $100,000.

Pan of burn during the January 9, 2007 controlled burn.