Wetlands park plan approved

Not every multimillion dollar project in Las Vegas is in the name of ringing slot machines, clinking coins and giddy tourists shouting at dice.

Some plans address the less-touted, tranquil side of the valley.

Clark County commissioners proved that Tuesday when they gave parks and recreation staff permission to continue work on a comprehensive plan to build a $13 million wetlands park.

The county also agreed to work with Ducks Unlimited Inc. to create a wetlands park just east of Boulder Highway that would not only provide a habitat for wildlife, but offer peaceful trails for Las Vegas Valley residents.

"When we saw this site, we were pleased and dismayed," said Ronald Stromstad, director of operations for Ducks Unlimited. "We were dismayed at the loss of wetlands due to erosion ... and pleased at the opportunity to showcase wetlands to the public."

The wetlands park will stretch along six miles of the Las Vegas Wash and ultimately will cover 2,400 acres -- an area four times the size of Central Park in New York City.

Jeff Harris, the county's parks planning manager, said the park is unique because of its proximity to neighborhoods and the Strip, which is only about six miles away.

Of the total acreage, about 800 acres would be ponds, marsh and a sea of cattails. The county anticipates about 174 species of birds in addition to beavers, coyotes, bobcats and rabbits to make their home in the park.

"Typically you build wetlands in areas with not a lot of population," Harris said. "I'm not aware of any urban wetlands parks anywhere near this size. I can't say this is the largest, but if there is a bigger one, I don't know where it is."

Stromstad said Clark County is an ideal site for a wetlands park, despite being in the desert. With the population more than a million and growing, water from urban runoff is constant. By opening up the wash in spots, ponds easily can be created.

"The biggest challenge in restoring wetlands is having a reliable water supply," he said.

In addition to creating a passive environment, the wetlands also will help filter runoff water before it streams into Lake Mead.

The county received its funding for the park in 1989 from a statewide wildlife and state park bond. In 1995 it developed a master plan for the 2,400 acres and the money was divided among trail construction, erosion-control structures and wetlands restoration.

Harris said when the master plan was adopted, Ducks Unlimited hadn't offered its assistance. Commissioners asked the county Tuesday to come up with a comprehensive plan for the area, this time including Ducks Unlimited's input.

Once the plan is created and approved by the board, Harris said his department will return its focus to 130 acres at the end of East Tropicana Avenue. The first phase, he said, will take nearly two years to complete.

In that phase, the county would extend East Tropicana into the park, converting it into a tree-lined lane once it leaves the city.

Motorists would be able to loop around and park inside the park, where trails would wind through the marsh and along the ponds. Harris said eventually they plan to build a visitor's center.

Harris and Stromstad emphasized that because restoring and creating wetlands requires dozens of various types of permits, it can become a lengthy process.

"You have to go through a huge process for permits to ruin wetlands and you have to go through the same process to restore them," Stromstad said.

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