Las Vegas washes and detention basins on the USGS map
Las Vegas washes and detention basins are the valley's flood plumbing, and USGS keeps 24 monitoring locations on washes and channels inside our 7 mile radius alone.
The named washes
USGS hydrography names four streams near central Las Vegas, Las Vegas Wash, Duck Creek, Tropicana Wash and Vegas Creek. USGS place names add Flamingo Wash. Most of the year they are dry. The National Weather Service says flash floods from monsoon thunderstorms often sweep down normally dry washes, and in July 1999 a person caught in Flamingo Wash died.
Detention basins on the USGS list
A detention basin holds storm water and lets it out slowly downstream. These basins have USGS monitoring locations named for them. Distances are straight line miles from central Las Vegas.
| Basin | USGS site | Mi from center | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadows Detention Basin | 094196557 | 2.3 | west |
| Carey and Lake Mead Detention Basin | 09419653 | 3.0 | northwest |
| North Las Vegas Detention Basin | 09419649 | 5.1 | north |
| Gowan Detention Basin | 094196497 | 5.1 | north |
| Flamingo Wash Detention Basin | 09419672 | 9.1 | southwest |
| Las Vegas Wash Detention Basin | 09419645 | 11.4 | north |
| Red Rock Wash Detention Basin | 09419671 | 12.2 | west |
Gauges inside the radius
| USGS station name | Site | Mi from center |
|---|---|---|
| FLAMINGO WASH AT DECATUR BLVD AT LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419674 | 6.0 |
| FLAMINGO WASH AT EASTERN AVENUE NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196775 | 3.4 |
| FLAMINGO WASH AT LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419675 | 4.5 |
| FLAMINGO WASH AT MARYLAND PKWY AT LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419677 | 3.6 |
| FLAMINGO WASH AT NELLIS BLVD NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196781 | 4.5 |
| FLAMINGO WASH AT SWENSON ST AT LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196753 | 3.7 |
| FLAMINGO WASH NR MOUTH AT LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419678 | 3.1 |
| LAS VEGAS CK CONFL NR NORTH LV, NV | 09419656 | 3.0 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH AT BONANZA RD AT LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419657 | 3.9 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH AT LAMB BLVD NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196553 | 3.4 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH AT LK MEAD DR NR N. LAS VEGAS | 09419655 | 2.9 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH AT NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419650 | 3.4 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH AT OWENS AVE NR NORTH LV, NV | 094196551 | 3.0 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH AT VEGAS VALLEY DR NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196784 | 6.4 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH NR SAHARA AVE NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419658 | 5.1 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH TRIB ABV CRAIG RD NR N LV, NV | 094196498 | 5.0 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH TRIB NR NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NV | 09419660 | 5.8 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH TRIB S OF NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE | 09419663 | 6.6 |
| LV WASH BLW FLAMINGO WASH CONFL NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196783 | 5.5 |
| NELLIS DRAIN AT LAKE MEAD BLVD AND SLOAN LN, LV | 09419661 | 5.7 |
| SLOAN CHANNEL AT CHARLESTON BLVD NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 09419665 | 5.4 |
| SLOAN CHANNEL TRIB AT LAS VEGAS BLVD NR N LV | 09419659 | 5.5 |
| TROPICANA WASH AT I-15 NR LAS VEGAS, NV | 094196758 | 5.5 |
| TROPICANA WASH AT SWENSON ST BRG AT LAS VEGAS | 09419676 | 3.9 |
Who built the system
FEMA's case study says the Nevada Legislature created the Clark County Regional Flood Control District in 1986 after El Nino storms in 1984, a year in which seven people died. It is funded by a quarter percent sales tax.
Stay out of them in a storm
Ready.gov says do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters, and that six inches of moving water can knock you down. A dry wash, a channel or an empty basin can fill in minutes during a monsoon cell. Keep children away from them when clouds build over the mountains.
Questions
What is a wash in Las Vegas?
What is a detention basin?
Which wash is closest to the Strip?
Who runs the flood channels?
Is it safe to walk in a dry wash?
Where can I see live flow data?
Sources
Water in the house right now? Call or text (702) 602-9420.