Specifications include, but are not limited to: primary urban runoff, wastewater and floodwater outlet from the Las Vegas Valley into Lake Mead and the Colorado River. The Wash is considered a critical component in the many environmental and water resource issues facing Southern Nevada today. The lower, approximately four-mile stretch of the Wash (between Lake Las Vegas and the confluence with the Colorado River), experiences high rates of erosion and channel degradation when Lake Mead’s water surface is low. If current rates of erosion are left unchecked, the Lower Wash channel will continue to degrade resulting in increased water quality issues in Lake Mead. The Authority has been designated as the lead agency to coordinate and manage the enhancement of the Wash and has identified several erosion control structures, channel bed and bank stabilization, and revegetation efforts that need to be installed in the Lower Wash to provide long term stabilization. The schedule for the Lower Wash will require a phased approach, whereby preliminary and final design of project components will initially focus on access roads, followed by grade control structures (weirs), stabilization and revegetation components, in sequential order from upstream to downstream. Final construction of all grade control structures and revegetation efforts are planned to be completed by January 2030. The Authority has secured grant funding for weir no. 5 and the initial professional services agreement will be limited in scope to overall system hydraulics and hydrology, overall system construction access roads, overall environmental compliance requirements, and weir no. 5 preliminary and final design and design support during construction.
