BMI plans golf course in marsh

Some day, marshland near the Las Vegas Wash may offer Southern Nevada residents a 36-hole golf course -- one that could help improve the water quality for the whole Las Vegas Valley.

Basic Management Industrial Corp. unveiled plans Wednesday to develop 400 acres squeezed between the bird sanctuary at the Henderson wastewater treatment ponds and an area Clark County plans to develop into a wetlands park.

"We think we can make a neat golf experience," said BMI President Dan Stewart. " We have this concept about what will give the best golfing experience."

The view from the site -- the waters of Lake Mead framed by rugged mountains -- should contribute to that experience.

But more importantly, wetlands may be incorporated into the design of the golf course to promote the natural process of cleaning the groundwater. Erosion in the past 15 years has destroyed many of the natural plants in the wash that filter groundwater.

"Groundwater is the whole issue," Stewart said.

The groundwater system in the Southeast Valley is complicated. Old underground channels move water that could be contaminated from industries uphill into the Las Vegas Wash, a valleywide outlet that drains the area's runoff. The wash is six miles upstream from Southern Nevada's drinking water intake.

Stewart said BMI has met with the state's Division of Environmental Protection. The corporation also plans to work with the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Friends of the Desert Wetlands Park to make the course environmentally friendly.

Administrator Allen Biaggi said the site will need an extensive investigation before any discharge permit will be issued for the golf course.

"It will be quite some time before the state can issue any permit," Biaggi said.

Stewart said the industrial complex began planning for the golf course two years ago and changed the design after consulting with the water authority, the region's supplier of drinking water.

Biologist Larry Paulson, who has studied the wash for more than 30 years, said the idea for an environmentally sound golf course is a good one. Projects like it are underway across the nation, he said. "It's a win-win idea," he said.

Norma Cox of the Friends of the Wetlands said that the golf course can enhance Southern Nevada's efforts to recover water quality. "Maximize the amount of wetlands along with the golf course," she said, noting that marshes remove harmful chemicals and even radiation from runoff.

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