Southern Nevada awards erosion control project to SNC-Lavalin

The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) recently awarded an erosion control contract to SNC-Lavalin Group. The initiative, titled the Lower Las Vegas Wash Stabilization Project, will slow and prevent nearby channel degradation through the construction of new grade control structures on the Lower Las Vegas Wash in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. These structures will improve the water quality of the local lake and protect Las Vegas’s existing infrastructure.

Erosion within the Las Vegas Wash creates sediment that is transported and discharged into Lake Mead, near SNWA's drinking water intakes. Many of the environmental and water resource issues facing Southern Nevada today center around the Las Vegas Wash.

"For more than 25 years, our team has supported SNWA and the Las Vegas Wash," said George Nash, CEO of SNC-Lavalin's Atkins North America. "With Lake Mead levels at historic lows, structural stability of the Wash is crucial for protecting water quality for millions of Americans. Our team is committed to helping manage and protect this finite resource while meeting the needs of the community and environmentally sensitive National Park Service land."

The Las Vegas Wash, in Clark County, Nevada, is the primary drainage of the Las Vegas Valley, carrying urban runoff, treated wastewater and floodwater into Lake Mead and the Colorado River. It serves as a return flow conveyance, safely recycling and returning highly treated wastewater back to Lake Mead and extending the community's water supply. It is also an important environmental resource, providing a wetland habitat that sustains plants and animals that would not otherwise be found in a dry, desert environment.

The company provides extensive expertise gained from projects of similar size and scope, including design services for Truckee River vista narrows in Nevada, Lake Havasu erosion control projects in Arizona, the Santa Clara River bendway weirs in California and a Muskrat Fall hydroelectric project in Canada.

SOURCE: SNC Lavalin