More work to be done on Las Vegas Wash

Monday, Jan. 21, 2002 | 9:18 a.m.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority, with help from federal and state agencies and thousands of volunteers, has replanted 22 acres of cattails and other marsh plants during the past year in Las Vegas Wash.

The plants help improve water quality and protect wildlife habitat

The goal for this year is to restore another 20 acres, Kim Zikmund, the Water Authority's wash project manager, said. "We are starting to see the difference," Zikmund said.

The Las Vegas Wash runs for 15 miles along the eastern edge of the Las Vegas Valley, draining into Lake Mead, Southern Nevada's major source of drinking water.

More than 2,000 acres of wetlands have been destroyed by floods and runoff from a growing Las Vegas Valley population over the past 30 years. The Water Authority and the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee hope to restore the lost marsh plants over the next 10 years.

The Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee is joining forces with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Clark County Parks and Recreation for two days of greening the wash, Zikmund said.

They are recruiting volunteers to remove tamarisk and other invasive plants from several areas around the 130-acre Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Preserve 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.

Then from noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 23, volunteers are asked to help plant about 4,000 trees and shrubs along Las Vegas Wash.

Volunteers should call 822-8584 by Feb. 1 to sign up for either or both events.