Las Vegas lost 90% of a 2,000-acre wetland as surging water eroded its banks; weirs and native plantings later cut suspended sediment by 60%

For many years, the Las Vegas Wash played an important role in southern Nevada's ecology. The channel carries excess water from the Las Vegas Valley into Lake Mead and supports wetlands and wildlife in the area. However, by the 1990s, years of urban development and heavy water flow had destroyed almost 90 percent of the wetlands in the Las Vegas Wash, according to the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee.

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