Clark County Regional Flood Control District
Encyclopedia
The Clark County Regional Flood Control District (CCRFCD) was created in 1985 by the Nevada Legislature
allowing Clark County
to provide broad solutions to flooding problems. The District has developed plans and so far successfully continued working on a 50-year program to eliminate most flooding from a 100-year flood
in the populated areas the CCRFCD is responsible for.
.
As of 2004 approximately $840 million has been spent by the CCRFCD and the U.S. federal government
on the many projects.
with a single outlet, the Las Vegas Wash
, all rain runoff
drains to the east side of the basin where it will eventually be deposited into Lake Mead
. Rain
fall in the surrounding mountain ranges, can cause flooding in the area as water flows off the mountains onto the valley floor. The area is also subject to localized weather events. It is possible for an area to receive heavy rainfall in a short time, while nearby areas as close as one or two miles (3 km) away receive little or no rain. Additional history about past flood events is available as well as some historical rainfall data.
The increase of hardscape
as the valley has developed has contributed to an increase of runoff over time.
To help alleviate the damage caused by flooding, the Clark County Regional Flood Control District has spent millions of dollars to build detention basin
s and concrete drainage channels throughout the area. The belief is that these structures will control the flow of water when there is storm runoff and reduce flooding in areas below the basins and near the channels and washes
.
The detention basins operated by the district vary in size from 10 acre and are up to 50 feet (15.2 m) deep.
Given the topography of the area, some areas may not be fixable. One example being the Flamingo Wash where the channel overflows into the Imperial Palace parking garage during flash flooding events.
s or other control measures. This is causing many new home buyers to deal with damage or severe runoff on local streets which are used as flood channels when other facilities are not available.
can cause localized flash flood
ing. A thunderstorm
hit the northwest part of the city of Las Vegas for two hours in August 2003, causing some hail
damage and considerable water damage. Heavy localized flooding occurred, with property damage reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In February 2005 the southwest part of the Vegas Valley was hard hit by flooding from the mountain rainfall runoff. Higher than average precipitation that same winter was responsible for significant damage in Mesquite and Overton which, as of that point in time, had not received much attention since their populations were so much smaller than the Las Vegas valley area.
and the National Weather Service
. This system collects hydrometeorologic
data primarily for the purpose of detecting situations which could cause flooding.
Nevada Legislature
The Nevada Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house Nevada Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house Nevada Senate, with 21 members. All 63 members of the Legislature are elected from an equal amount of...
allowing Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
to provide broad solutions to flooding problems. The District has developed plans and so far successfully continued working on a 50-year program to eliminate most flooding from a 100-year flood
100-year flood
A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% annual exceedance probability flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded...
in the populated areas the CCRFCD is responsible for.
History
The district began its first project in 1998 funded by a 0.25 percent sales taxSales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
.
As of 2004 approximately $840 million has been spent by the CCRFCD and the U.S. federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
on the many projects.
District direction for providing protection
Since Las Vegas is located in a basinDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
with a single outlet, the Las Vegas Wash
Las Vegas Wash
Las Vegas Wash is a 12 mile-long channel which feeds most of Las Vegas Valley's excess water into Lake Mead. The wash is sometimes called an urban river, and it exists in its present capacity because of an urban population. The wash also works in a systemic conjunction with the pre-existing...
, all rain runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
drains to the east side of the basin where it will eventually be deposited into Lake Mead
Lake Mead
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam, it extends behind the dam, holding approximately of water.-History:The lake was...
. Rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
fall in the surrounding mountain ranges, can cause flooding in the area as water flows off the mountains onto the valley floor. The area is also subject to localized weather events. It is possible for an area to receive heavy rainfall in a short time, while nearby areas as close as one or two miles (3 km) away receive little or no rain. Additional history about past flood events is available as well as some historical rainfall data.
The increase of hardscape
Hardscape
Hardscape, in the practice of landscaping, refers to the paved areas like streets & sidewalks, large business complexes & housing developments, and other industrial areas where the upper soil profile is no longer exposed to the actual surface of the Earth...
as the valley has developed has contributed to an increase of runoff over time.
To help alleviate the damage caused by flooding, the Clark County Regional Flood Control District has spent millions of dollars to build detention basin
Detention basin
A detention basin is a stormwater management facility installed on, or adjacent to, tributaries of rivers, streams, lakes or bays that is designed to protect against flooding and, in some cases, downstream erosion by storing water for a limited period of a time. These basins are also called "dry...
s and concrete drainage channels throughout the area. The belief is that these structures will control the flow of water when there is storm runoff and reduce flooding in areas below the basins and near the channels and washes
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
.
The detention basins operated by the district vary in size from 10 acre and are up to 50 feet (15.2 m) deep.
Given the topography of the area, some areas may not be fixable. One example being the Flamingo Wash where the channel overflows into the Imperial Palace parking garage during flash flooding events.
How growth has affected plans and development
With the rapid growth occurring in the valley, the plan and finances have not been able to keep up. As a result, developers are deciding to build in areas not yet protected by detention basinDetention basin
A detention basin is a stormwater management facility installed on, or adjacent to, tributaries of rivers, streams, lakes or bays that is designed to protect against flooding and, in some cases, downstream erosion by storing water for a limited period of a time. These basins are also called "dry...
s or other control measures. This is causing many new home buyers to deal with damage or severe runoff on local streets which are used as flood channels when other facilities are not available.
How weather creates problems
Heavy rainfallPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
can cause localized flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
ing. A thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
hit the northwest part of the city of Las Vegas for two hours in August 2003, causing some hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
damage and considerable water damage. Heavy localized flooding occurred, with property damage reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In February 2005 the southwest part of the Vegas Valley was hard hit by flooding from the mountain rainfall runoff. Higher than average precipitation that same winter was responsible for significant damage in Mesquite and Overton which, as of that point in time, had not received much attention since their populations were so much smaller than the Las Vegas valley area.
Event detection and notification
In addition to building and maintaining flood control projects, the District also operates a Flood Threat Recognition System of ALERT rain and stream gage, with the cooperation of the United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
and the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
. This system collects hydrometeorologic
Hydrometeorology
Hydrometeorology is a branch of meteorology and hydrology that studies the transfer of water and energy between the land surface and the lower atmosphere....
data primarily for the purpose of detecting situations which could cause flooding.
Detention basins
- Angel Park Detention Basin
- Anthem Detention Basin
- Black Mountain Detention Basin
- Blue Diamond Detention Basin
- Cheyenne Peaking Basin
- Confluence Detention Basin
- Desert Inn Detention Basin
- East C-1 Detention Basin
- Equestrian Detention Basin
- Fort Apache Detention Basin
- Gowan Central Detention Basin
- Gowan South Detention Basin
- Indian Springs Detention Basin
- Kyle Canyon Detention Basin
- The Lakes Detention Basin
- Lone Mountain Detention Basin
- Lower Duck Creek Detention Basin
- McCullough Hills Detention Basin
- Meadows Detention Basin
- Mission Hills Detention Basin
- Oakey Detention Basin
- Pioneer Detetion Basin
- Pittman East Detention Basin
- Pittman Park Detention Basin
- Red Rock Detention Basin
- R-4 Detention Basin
- Tropicana Wash Detention Basin
- Upper Flamingo Detention Basin
- VanBuskirk Detention Basin
- Vandenberg Detention Basin
- Veterans Detention Basin
- Windmill Wash Detention Basin
Flood channels
- Beltway Channel
- Duck Creek
- Flamingo Wash
- Halfway Wash
- Naples Channel
- Pittman Wash
- Sloan Channel