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People and the Wash - Urban
Development
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The
San Pedro, Los Angeles and
Salt Lake Railroad company was sold
to Union Pacific in 1921.
Photo courtesy of Las Vegas
Valley Water District |
Modern
urban development in the Las Vegas Valley occurred in conjunction
with the railroads in the early 1900's. After that, the construction
of Hoover Dam, the establishment of legalized gambling and World
War II continued to promote urban growth.
During the 1930s, Las Vegas was a small railroad town with a population
of just over 5000. Gambling had been legalized in 1910, so there
were small "casinos". The construction of Hoover Dam
brought workers to Southern Nevada, particularly to Boulder City.
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1930s-Hoover
Dam
during construction.
Photo courtesy of
Nanyu Tomiyasu |
In 1935, Hoover
Dam was completed and the official theme, intended to promote
tourism, "Still a Frontier Town" was born. Then, World
War II began and the Las Vegas Valley grew substantially with
an increase in both population (which more than tripled) and industry.
A Gunnery School (1941-1945) was started during the war in order
to train men as machine gunners for B-17 Flying Fortress bombers.
The training took five weeks and the first class graduated in
1942. During the war, over 50,000 gunners were trained at this
school. During this same time, BMI (Basic Magnesium, Inc.) operated
a magnesium plant to help in the war efforts. Magnesium was used
for such items as tire rims, bullets, bombs and planes. BMI sat
on the current Basic Management, Incorporated site in Henderson.
At the time, the area was called "Basic Town Site",
but was renamed to Henderson in 1944.
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| Fremont
Street, Las Vegas, 1940s.
Photo courtesy of Las Vegas
Valley Water District |
During the
early years of the war, Basic Refractories Company had holdings
of magnesium ore in west central Nevada (near Gabbs). In September
1941, construction of the Basic Magnesium plant began. Originally,
the ore was shipped by rail from Gabbs, through Salt Lake City
and down to Las Vegas. The U.S. 95 highway was improved and shipping
by truck took place thereafter.
There were 13,000 construction workers who built the plant. The
plant began making magnesium in August 1942 and the majority of
the workers at the plant were women. In just over two years, the
plant produced 166 million tons of magnesium. The famous bomber,
the Memphis Belle visited the plant in July 1943 to honor the
plants "full capacity" status (3 of the crew members
had been trained at the local gunnery school). The storage of
magnesium greatly exceeded requirements, so the War Production
Board ordered the plant closed in November 1944. After the war,
the industrial plant began producing a variety of chemical products.
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Vegas Vic was built to
create attention for
Las Vegas and the casinos.
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After the
war ended, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce didn't want to lose
the growth momentum, so the now famous Vegas Vic was built. The
Chamber also released the ad, "fun in the sun," which
brought a lot of attention to Las Vegas. As the population grew,
various needs were met. Wastewater treatment facilities were built
in the 1950's. The Wash served as a natural channel for the treated
wastewater and, as a result, the Wash slowly began to change.
Wetland
History
With water flowing through it, the area around the Wash became
a wetland oasis. Acre after acre of soil alongside the Wash channel
became excellent wetland habitat as the desert soil was transformed
into wet marshy wetland soil. As cattails and reeds took root
and grew, the once dry desert land became lush wetlands.
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| Las
Vegas Wash as viewed
from Northshore Bridge, 1972.
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However, as
the valley continued to urbanize, the daily flows of water continued
to increase and the same process that created the wetlands began
to erode the Wash channel. At first, the Wash channel began to
cut a little deeper into the ground and some of the wetlands began
to drain. As time went on, the channel kept cutting deeper and
more areas dried out and lost their vegetation. This process continued
until the wetland area that once covered more than 2,000 acres
in the 1970's dwindled to less than 200 acres in the 1990's.
Wetlands
as a Resource
The population in the Las Vegas Valley has increased dramatically
over the last twenty years (see chart below). As the modern urban
population enters the 21st century, the Wash is recognized as
a crucial environmental resource for several reasons. First, the
Wash is a vital component in the water resource system with respect
to water quality and availability in the Las Vegas Valley. Next,
the Las Vegas Wash provides habitat for a diversity of plants
and animals that depend on suitable and stable wetlands for survival.
Finally, the Las Vegas Wash and wetlands provide an open space
where people can experience nature.
The
Future
The changes the Las Vegas Wash has experienced over the last 30
years have not gone unnoticed. Many groups have concentrated their
efforts on restoring the wetlands in the Wash. With the passing
of the bond issue in 1991 for development of the Clark County
Wetlands Park and the formation of the Las Vegas Wash Coordination
Committee in October 1998, the complex issues surrounding the
Wash are being addressed in a coordinated manner.
From
the Past Into the Future
After providing for Native Americans thousands of years ago, a
new chapter for the Las Vegas Wash begins at the dawn of the 21st
century. With intense efforts to control erosion and restore wetlands,
the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee is working to protect
the resources of today for the children of tomorrow.
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