LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Major upgrades are underway at the Clark County Wetlands Park and Nature Preserve.
It is one of the best places to spot wildlife within the valley. It is teeming with wildlife from birds to bunnies to bullfrogs, even beavers.
“You come out right after the trails open at dawn and go to any of our ponds you might have a chance of seeing them,” shared Ben Jurand, Environmental Specialist at Wetlands Park.
It is a lush 2,900 acre oasis in the Mojave Desert with a Strip view in the distant skyline just miles from millions of tourists a year.
“When they think of Las Vegas they don’t think of wetlands as the first type of ecosystem,” contended Jurand.
Major improvements are now underway. The grand plan: connect all trails.
“We currently have 14 miles of paved trail, and we are going to be adding about 5.5 miles of paved trail and about 2.5 miles of unpaved trail… It is going to provide an opportunity for people to see different parts of the park that they may not have seen before,” Jurand reported.
The Wetlands is such a popular spot for wildlife and people because of the flowing water year round but it is also the valley’s drainage system. After it rains, whatever is in the storm drains is pushed downstream and then out to Lake Mead.
It’s a challenge to keep the water clean.
“We definitely have a problem with trash in the park… I think our last contractor removed about 16 dumpsters full,” Jurand explained.
That was in the spring. Last year, after a heavy monsoon season, FOX5 reported on record amounts of trash in the Las Vegas Wash, everything from shopping carts to trash cans along with a $100,000 cleanup at the park.
“If you are ever upset about seeing the trash and want to do something about it, we also have a volunteer program… We need everyone’s help in order to be able to do it,” Jurand stated. There will be a volunteer trash cleanup event this Saturday.
By the end of 2024, there will be a paved path from the Duck Creek Trailhead to the main parking lot connecting two of the busiest areas of the park. During construction, some portions of the trail may be closed.
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