The Las Vegas Wash is a 12-mile channel that carries excess water from the Las Vegas Valley into Lake Mead. It receives urban runoff, groundwater, reclaimed water, and stormwater. The wetlands along the wash act as kidneys, filtering out contaminants from fertilizers and oils. Near its terminus at Las Vegas Bay, the wash passes under Lake Las Vegas through two 7-foot pipes before emptying into the bay, which is located in Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Henderson, Nevada.

1. Las Vegas Wash is a 12 mile-long channel which feeds most of the 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 wetlands that
formed the oasis of the Las Vegas Valley. The wash is fed by urban runoff, shallow ground water,
reclaimed water, and stormwater.[1]
The wetlands of the Las Vegas Valley act as the kidneys of the environment, cleaning the water that runs
through it. The wetlands filter out harmful residues from fertilizers, oils, and other contaminants that
can be found on the roadways and in the surrounding desert.
Near its terminus at Las Vegas Bay,[1] the wash passes under the man made Lake Las Vegas through two
7 foot pipes.[2]
Las Vegas Bay is a bay at the western edge of Lake Mead in the U.S. state of Nevada. The bay is located
within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the northeast of the city of Henderson, Nevada, near
the junction of Lake Mead Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard. A public campground and boat access are
available in Las Vegas Bay. Low water levels of Lake Mead have rendered the marina there inoperable,
and it has moved to the Hemenway Boat Harbor, in the south end of the Boulder Basin. The launch ramp
there has also been closed due to the water levels.