The wash also works in a systemic conjunction with the pre-existing wetlands that formed the oasis of the Las Vegas Valley.

[2] The wetlands of the Las Vegas Valley act as the kidneys of the environment, cleaning the water that runs through it.

The wetlands filter out harmful residues from fertilizers, oils, and other contaminants that can be found on the roadways and in the surrounding desert.

When the first sewage treatment plant went on line, the flows began increasing to the point that the channel expanded in size as the increased flows eroded the wash's stream-banks.

This has had several consequences among them, increased flows of silt into Lake Mead, fewer migratory birds, reduced water polishing from the native plants, and infestation of invasive plant species such as African Tamarisk (Tamarix africana) and Sahara Mustard (Brassica tournefortii).