Wetlands do exist in valley, along with solitude and serenity

One friend doesn't want me to write about the Wetlands Park because it might spoil the park for those seeking solitude. Another didn't believe wetlands exist in Las Vegas.

Well, they do. Wetlands Park near Sam Boyd Stadium is one of those undiscovered gems of the Clark County park system many locals have never visited.

The park sprawls over 2,900 acres, about one mile wide and seven miles long. It includes wetlands and desert.

It is critter central with 212 species of birds. Beavers, coyotes, bobcats, rabbits and snakes are among the 70 species of mammals and reptiles.

It feels Alice in Wonderlandy. "It's one of the few places in the desert where the plants are taller than you, the reeds are 12 feet tall," said Elsie Sellars, Wetlands Park coordinator.

The county is in the process of implementing a master plan approved in 1995. Development began in 2001. On Tuesday, the Clark County Commission will probably award a bid to spend about $15 million for a new visitor center and (more importantly for the fastidious) restrooms.

Looking for peace and quiet? The Nature Preserve, a 130-acre section at the heart of the park, bans skateboards, bicycles and dogs. What it does have is miles of hiking paths, as well as walking paths that are wheelchair accessible. There's a blind for bird viewing. Since this is migration season, spring is one of the best times of year to go for bird watching.

The Wetlands Park at 7050 Wetlands Park Lane is located at the eastern end of Tropicana Avenue. To reach the dog-friendly Duck Creek entrance, keep driving down Broadbent Boulevard as though you're heading to the stadium. During my visit a dachshund and a German shepherd romped and proved you can be part of a family even if you don't look alike.

I walked to the ponds, but didn't make Coyote Loop or Quail Run Loop, so I can't vouch for whether they deliver on the promise of their names.

The natural question is why the county will spend $15 million for a new visitor center when times are tough and layoffs are wrecking people's lives? As county officials like to say, this isn't general fund money and the money can't be used to save jobs. Most of the money is from federal funds through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Act. It's also funded partly through fees paid by developers and from voter-approved bond questions to build parks.

It will take about two years before the new visitor center is built and the entire park is expected to be a work in progress for the next five to seven years.

Three people deserve particular praise for having the vision to protect the wetlands starting in the '70s -- Vern Bostick and Jack Harvey, the founders of Friends of the Desert Wetlands Park, which has evolved into the Desert Wetlands Conservancy, along with Norma Cox. They and many others prodded officials to persuade them that creating this unique regional park was a worthwhile idea.

Art Wolf, chairman of Desert Wetlands Conservancy, said, "I'm a diabetic and I go there five mornings a week to get my exercise. I fell in love with the bird watching and animal stuff, and the next thing you know you're the chairman of the conservancy."

Once, there were wetlands all along the Las Vegas Wash. Development reduced that. In the 1970s, there were 2,000 acres of wetlands. By the 1990s there were less than 200 acres. Now the wetlands are coming back. "Each time they build a weir to stop the erosion, more wetlands appear," Wolf said.

The Wetlands Park, another secret jewel brought to you courtesy of preservationists with the gumption to fight for wetlands.

Don't all rush out there at once.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.