Del Webb land swap to aid endangered fish

Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997 | 10:05 a.m.

A 28-acre parcel hosting the endangered Moapa dace fish becomes part of the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge when Del Webb signs the land over to the federal government Friday.

The Del Webb Conservation Holding Corp. agreed to swap the land and other parcels for land near Henderson to expand its development, said Del Webb spokesman Sean Patrick.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy worked together to protect the dace site at the longtime popular resort of Warm Springs. Fire nearly destroyed the Southern Nevada landmark in 1994.

As a result, the endangered fish population dropped from roughly 500 to 30.

By handing over that land, Del Webb will add about 60 percent to the dace breeding area, Patrick said.

This is the second phase of the Del Webb land swap.

In addition to the Warm Springs parcel, the Bureau of Land Management will get two parcels at Lake Tahoe with a total 71 acres of lake frontage with steep, fragile soils and views. This property becomes part of the Tahoe Basin Management unit of the U.S. Forest Service.

Del Webb originally filed for about 2,500 acres of BLM land near Henderson valued at an estimated $32 million.

The land exchange is so big and complicated it is being done in phases. Del Webb is expected to come up with more parcels to complete its acquisition of more than 900 acres remaining in the initial application.