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Celebrate World Wetlands Day
Each year, World Wetlands Day (WWD) is celebrated on Feb. 2, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
In 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community took advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits.
The theme for 2012 is "Wetlands and Tourism." Responsible tourism supports local communities, benefiting people and wildlife both locally and nationally. Tourism benefits people with jobs and income for the local community. Tourists come to see the scenery and many want to see wildlife, which encourage conservation and enhancement. Throughout the world approximately 35 percent of wetland sites record some form of tourism.
Whether or not you live near them, the wetlands along the Las Vegas Wash provide many positive benefits for our community. The water in our wetland system allows sediments to settle as water moves through the system. This permits a diverse community of microorganisms that break down organic and inorganic pollutants. In other words, wetland vegetation works as a "filter" and picks up contaminants that may be in the water while microorganisms break these contaminants down as the water flows to Lake Mead.
The Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee will celebrate World Wetlands Day to increase awareness at the Clark County Wetlands Park. Activities include a clean-up event near Pabco Road Weir, north of Sam Boyd Stadium. There also will be short walking tours of sections of the wetlands and talks that will increase your knowledge of our local resource. There will be events held around the world to celebrate, from seminars to nature walks and community clean-up days in more than 98 countries worldwide.
Originally, the Las Vegas Wash contained about 2,000 acres of lush wetlands. As the population continued to grow in Las Vegas, more and more water was discharged into the Las Vegas Wash. In the 1970s, increased water flows started to erode the soil and by the early 1990s, less than 200 acres of wetlands remained. The 29 members of the LVWCC have invested a lot of time and effort to the stabilization and enhancement of wetlands along the Las Vegas Wash. So far, 14 of the 22 proposed weir structures, as well as several miles of bank protection, have been installed into the system to better manage erosive water flows and reverse wetland degradation.