Posted on: August 22, 2025, 07:21h.

Last updated on: August 14, 2025, 11:31h.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every Monday, a new edition of “Vegas Myths Busted” is released, along with a special Flashback Friday edition. Today’s article was first published on July 9, 2024.

Las Vegas ranks as the second driest city in the US, just behind Yuma, Arizona, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with an annual rainfall average of only 5.37 inches. So, what led to the establishment of such a major city in this arid landscape?

It was not always this way.

While precipitation is scarce in Las Vegas, the mountain ranges nearby receive significant rainfall. For over 15,000 years, melting snow and rains from higher elevations have fed springs and streams that emerged through the desert floor, coursing freely (and sometimes uncontrollably during storms) through the valley.

When it was established in 1905, the region was essentially an oasis within a harsh desert environment. (“Las Vegas” translates from Spanish to “The Meadows.”)

In the present day, the underground aquifers are extensively drained, and mountain runoff is directed into concrete channels leading to Lake Mead. However, when these waterways—Las Vegas Creek, Duck Creek, and what’s now Flamingo Wash—could flow naturally, they provided sufficient water for drinking, bathing, and nurturing lush vegetation and diverse wildlife.

This vital water source enabled Native Americans to thrive in the area for more than 5,000 years and later made Las Vegas an essential stop along the Old Spanish Trail connecting Santa Fe to Los Angeles.

It was during the mapping of this trail in 1829 that Raphael Rivera, a scout for one of the first Mexican expeditions through Southern Nevada, gave the region its Spanish name.

Bonus Related Myth

The first permanent European settlement in Las Vegas wasn’t abandoned solely due to water scarcity. A blend of factors led to the departure of 32 Mormon missionaries from the Old Mormon Fort two years after its establishment near Las Vegas Creek in 1855.

These factors included poor mining and agriculture yields, tensions among leaders, deteriorating relations with local Native Americans, and the onset of the Utah War against the US government, prompting them to return home to participate.

The Water Challenge

In 1902, Las Vegas trailblazer Helen J. Stewart sold the majority of her ranch along Las Vegas Creek, including its water rights, to Montana Senator William A. Clark and his San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. This transaction enabled the railroad to establish a water system that delivered flowing water directly to the 1,200 commercial and residential lots sold in what is now downtown Las Vegas.

Just five years later, the city’s residents began drilling wells into the aquifer for additional water. Unfortunately, many of these wells were unsealed, allowing vast amounts of water to spill above ground, leading to significant evaporation. The population lacked a clear understanding of the water source, and the force of the overflow fostered the illusion of an unending supply.

By the summer of 1935, excessive water extraction from the aquifer caused Las Vegas Creek to dry up for the first time, prompting Nevada State Engineer Alfred Merritt Smith to declare the situation as dangerously unsustainable.

Smith advocated for regulated water usage, but the Nevada State Legislature rejected any notions of restricting development.

By 1962, the water table had receded so dramatically that the Las Vegas Springs ceased to bubble to the surface entirely, resulting in the death of most vegetation sustained by its waters and the extinction of certain frog and fish species.

By 1972, the remnants of Las Vegas Creek were scheduled to be paved over for a new expressway. This remnant still supported a green but fading half-mile stretch of vegetation just west of downtown, next to Meadows Mall. (Interestingly, few realize the significance of the name ‘Meadows’ since very few meadows still exist in Las Vegas.)

By this time, Las Vegas predominantly sourced its water from the Colorado River, utilizing pipes reaching into the fully filled Lake Mead, which minimized immediate concerns.

This was until UNLV archaeology professor Claude Warren conducted a survey that uncovered evidence of human existence in the area stretching back thousands of years.

The Las Vegas Valley Water District, with the support of dedicated citizens, leveraged this discovery to successfully add the Las Vegas Springs to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This action ultimately led to the Nevada Department of Transportation rerouting US 95 away from the 180-acre site.

To safeguard and work towards the restoration of what remains of the Las Vegas Springs, the Las Vegas Springs Preserve was founded at the site in 2007.

According to the organization’s website, they have since rehabilitated seven acres of wetlands, including a stream and 14 habitat ponds.

While this may seem like a drop in the bucket, it is certainly a step in the right direction.

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