Las Vegas Wash gets $20M in federal funds for restoration projects

The Southern Nevada Water Authority was awarded $20 million in federal funding for erosion control and in-stream habitat projects at the lower Las Vegas Wash.

The Las Vegas Wash filters over 200 million gallons of treated water from the Las Vegas Valley into Lake Mead every day. Wetlands in and around the wash help filter water and provide an oasis for animals in the desert, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The projects will help improve the water quality of the wash, create additional wetlands and remove invasive vegetation to help protect spawning areas for the endangered razorback sucker in Las Vegas Bay, the bureau said in a news release Tuesday.

“The benefits of these projects are far-reaching in terms of climate resilience and ecosystem restoration benefits,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a news release. “The work to restore and protect the habitat for fish and wildlife also helps to improve water quality and mitigate impacts of drought and potential flood events.”

The funds are part of a total of $51 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021 that will fund 18 projects in eight states.

Last month, the water authority received funds from the Act for improvements to the Muddy River at the Warm Springs Natural Area. The $743,329 award supports projects working to protect the endangered Moapa Valley dace and reconstruct damaged stream channels in the area.

Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen said in a release that the funds are essential for combating drought in Southern Nevada.

“The Las Vegas Wash filters more than 200 million gallons of water into Lake Mead every day, and I’m proud to see this funding I secured headed to Southern Nevada,” Cortez Masto said in a news release. “Combating drought takes all of us working together, and I’ll keep working to deliver the resources Nevada needs to protect our drinking water and our ecosystems.”

Rep. Dina Titus said the funds are “critical” to conservation efforts in Las Vegas’ watershed.

“By investing in the protection of our environment, we are investing in a cleaner, healthier future,” Titus said in a statement.

Bronson Mack, outreach manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority said, “We are very appreciative of the grant award from the Bureau of Reclamation and the efforts of Nevada’s congressional delegation to help secure funding for critical water projects in Nevada. This funding will be very helpful in stabilizing the lower section of the Las Vegas Wash, which continues to see significant erosion and impacts to wetlands and wildlife habitat.

“Through its efforts to manage the Las Vegas Wash, SNWA and its partners have demonstrated that controlling the wash’s flows significantly reduces erosion, allows wetlands to flourish and provides suitable habitat for wildlife. This not only provides environmental benefits but also helps protect water quality in Lake Mead. The public can visit the Clark County Wetlands Park to see how these efforts have helped the Las Vegas Wash thrive over the past couple decades.”