Key information for visitorsThe National Park Service closed the Government Wash portion of Lake Mead National Recreation Area to motor vehicle access and overnight camping Aug. 1, 2024. This will be a temporary closure for an undefined period while the park assesses the damage from the network of illegal roads and impacts from those who camp for extended periods of time. This fall and winter, the park will host community and recreation group meetings to seek input on how to best manage the Government Wash area. Ultimately, the park seeks to make Government Wash an improved experience for all visitors that upholds high quality NPS standards and experiences. What happened?The damage and problems in Government Wash were caused through a combination of factors over many years. The issues are caused from expanding visitor use by a variety of user groups who explore the area, seeking access to more remote places to drive, fish, picnic, swim, or camp. During the same period, the NPS lacked resources to develop or manage the area as the water levels on the lake declined. For example, there are no designated roads, toilets, or water available in the newly accessible area. A recent review of the serious incident response in the Government Wash area of the park shows 1,365 incidents in the last five years. Some of these were serious law enforcement events, fires, emergency medical responses, searches, and rescues. And as the road network and visitor use expanded, damage to rare plants and cultural resources were found. Overall, what was once a lightly used area of the park with a boat ramp and amenities to the water, became much more popular and the NPS was unable to develop services and infrastructure to meet changing demands. 
What are the next steps and what is being done?The closure will continue as NPS staff assess damage to cultural and natural resources, survey illegal roads in the area, and work with the community and recreational groups like boaters, OHV users, campers, etc, to plan future area use options. Frequently Asked QuestionsIs the closure of Government Wash permanent? No. The restrictions put into place at Government Wash are intended to be temporary, until the NPS can develop a recreation plan that balances visitor use with the infrastructure, resources, and staffing to help manage use. What types of use is creating the problems at Government Wash? It is not just who is visiting Government Wash, but moreover the large numbers of people visiting and overnight camping in a primitive area that does not have the infrastructure or capacity to support so many people. As a result, NPS staff are seeing an accumulation of significant amounts of trash, human waste, illegal campfire rings, illegal roads, and other detritus in the area. There is also significant damage to natural and cultural resources, as well as a network of more than 100 miles of illegal roads that make the area difficult for law enforcement and search and rescue response. Your press release mentioned a significant number of law enforcement incidents in Government Wash. Can you elaborate? As visitation increased and expanded in the Government Wash area, so has the request for NPS law enforcement responses. From January 2022 to February 2024, Lake Mead National Recreation Area law enforcement staff responded to more than 500 incidents in the Government Wash area. The incidents range from routine, low-level law enforcement activity, such as vehicle registration infractions, pets off-leash, camping violations, littering, drugs, etc., to medical and search and rescue incidents. NPS rangers have also seen an increase in more serious incidents and crimes, such as assaults, sex offenses, fugitive apprehensions, fires, suicides, and other fatalities. Also, there are more than 100 miles of illegal roads in the Government Wash area that make emergency response very difficult as visitors often cannot identify their location accurately. Instead of closing access to Government Wash for everyone, why don’t you just increase law enforcement presence/enforcement of people violating the rules there? Increasing or redirecting the law enforcement rangers to Government Wash would negatively impact response times to critical incidents in other more popular areas where the public traditionally visits.
The National Park Service is committed to working with the public to find the best way to manage Government Wash in the most effective way for both the public and the NPS. Lake Mead National Recreation Area leadership are looking at a variety of ideas and possible strategies to meet this goal. Lake Mead National Recreation Area staff are developing a Government Wash improvement plan with short- and long-term operations that will allow the park to reconsider area boundaries and access points, improve public and resource protection operations, and assess natural resource and compliance needs for future recreational use in the area.
Many archeological sites have been documented in the Government Wash and surrounding area. Most sites have off-road vehicle tracks and/or damage from camping visitors documented in them with varying levels of disturbance. This area has unique and sensitive gypsum and cryptobiotic soils, as well as Desert Tortoise habitat, that have been destroyed from illegal roads. Gypsum soils are home to the endangered Las Vegas Bear Poppy and several other threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Cryptobiotic soils help prevent wind and water erosion and provide nutrients for desert plants. Well-developed cryptobiotic soils can take hundreds or thousands of years to form and their recovery after destruction would not happen in our lifetimes. How can I assist in the future, and can I be notified of volunteering opportunities? How can I get on a list to hear about the Fall and Winter Meetings? 
NPS/I. Morris |
What are your long-term plans for managing Government Wash? Last updated: August 9, 2024