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Agua Las Vegas
By Allison Pirie
 hen
you think of Las Vegas, the thought of bright, colorful lights everywhere
might come to mind. But that is not the only thing about Las Vegas
that might seem environmentally unfriendly. Everywhere you walk in
Las Vegas, you can see vast amounts of water being used and consumed
in amounts almost unimaginable.
 as
Vegas got its name from explorers, who were walking through the desert,
and all of the sudden came to a plush, green area. They names this
area “Las Vegas,” meaning “the meadows.” The
term “the meadows” brings to mind an area where water
is abundant. In reality, the reverse is true. Las Vegas, and the entire
area are currently under a drought watch, that is expected to become
a drought emergency in the next couple of years.
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Las Vegas Gallery 1 ]
 verywhere
you look there are water fountains, water falls, water displays, even
canals. Las Vegas has made water into an art form. At one end of the
strip, you can walk up to the Mandalay Bay and be greeted by beautiful
fountains that almost make you forget that you’re really in
a major city. Walk into the Mandalay Bay and you can see a live shark
tank. Walk further down the stip and you’ll think that you’re
in the streets of Venice, with all the canals at the Venetian Hotel.
And in between, you’ll see more fountains than you thought was
possible in a city seemingly surrounded by desert.
 erhaps
one of the most famous Las Vegas water attractions is the fountains
at the Bellagio. Every 15 minutes these fountains erupt in to a dance
that is choreographed to a selected music piece, from classical pieces
to “She’s the One” from the musical, “A Chorus
Line.” During the finales, the water from the more than 1,000
feet of fountain can shoot up to 240 feet in the air. If you walk
down the strip a little bit farther you can see a “real, live”
volanco outside of the Mirage… all made out of water. Colored
lights, fire, and a lot of water make this simulated volcano a must
see.
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Las Vegas Gallery 2 ]
 owever,
these tourist attractions are not the only way that hotels and casinos
use vast amounts of water. The hotels and casinos themselves use a
lot of water in toilets and shower, laundry, and cooking. While they
have taken some steps to minimize the amount of water that they use,
such as recycling water and using low-flow toilets and showers, the
sheer number of tourists that they must cater to on a daily basis
makes water conservation exceedingly difficult. With all of these
different water uses, hotels and casinos use roughly eight percent
of the total amount of water used in Las Vegas. The good news, however,
is that most of that water is recycled.
 nd
the hotels and casinos are not the only ones that consume vast amounts
of water. Household use accounts for approximately 75% of public water
use in the city. A lot of this water is used in regular household
use, as well as landscaping. Another culprit of water use is golf
courses. There are over 50 golf courses in the Las Vegas area, each
of which must not only be watered and maintained on a regular basis,
but bring in thousands of tourists each year.
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Las Vegas Gallery 3 ]
 o
where does all this water come from? The city of Las Vegas gets 88%
of its public water from Lake Mead, a reservoir created by the Hoover
Dam. It should be noted that most of the casinos do not use the water
from Lake Mead, but from their own aquifers. Currently, Lake Mead
is 80 feet below it’s normal level. Additionally, the entire
area is in a drought watch. Recently, additional drought restrictions
were added to the city. However, these restrictions may be waved for
casinos, with the provision “The County Commission also will
consider approving special-use permits for commercial fountains or
water features that serve a vital economic function in the region.”
Additionally, exceptions were made for the Las Vegas strip hotels
 he
city of Las Vegas itself only gets around 3-5 inches of rain a year,
which is one of the reasons why it is in drought watch. Interestingly
enough, the area is prone to flash floods, with water washing down
the mountains onto the streets. In 1999 the city experienced severe
flooding, known as the 100 year floods. However, as recently as August
2003, there were serious flash flooding. It’s not unusual to
see a sign that says “flash flood area.” Seeing a sign
that tells you that you are in a flash flood area, may be misleading.
While there may be flash floods in Las Vegas, there certainly is not
an excess of water.
o,
water has a great many uses in Las Vegas, from every day uses to dancing
fountains. The question isn’t whether it’s beautiful and
fun to look at. The question is how long it will last.
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Las Vegas Gallery 4 ]
For more information about water usage in Las Vegas, check out the
following websites:
 Southern
Nevada Water Authority
The
Southwestern U.S Drought of 2003, Some Hydrological Impacts
Watersheds.tv
Between Cattails feature on the Hoover Dam/Lake Mead
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