Las Vegas Wash
The Las Vegas Wash is the primary channel through which the valley's excess water returns to Lake Mead. The water flowing through the Las Vegas Wash makes up less than 2 percent of the water in Lake Mead and consists of urban runoff, shallow groundwater, stormwater and releases from the valley's three waste water treatment facilities.

The wash stretches 12 miles from the southeast part of the Las Vegas Valley to Lake Mead, entering the lake at Las Vegas Bay. Its once-plentiful wetlands helped polish urban flows on their way to Lake Mead. However, erosion in the Las Vegas Wash has reduced the wetlands from 2,000 acres to about 200 acres.

Restoration and management plan
In 1998, the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee (LVWCC) was formed. The committee consists of a panel representing more than two dozen local, state and federal agencies, businesses, environmental groups and private citizens.

The committee developed a long-term management plan for the Las Vegas Wash for protecting and enhancing the wash and surrounding wetlands. Accomplishments to date include:

• Constructed erosion-control structures to stop damage caused by floods
• Stabilized the wash's banks by planting thousands of trees and shrubs
• Removed more than 500,000 pounds of trash from adjacent areas
• Built or improved more than 2 miles of walking trails
• Completed extensive wildlife and water quality monitoring programs