COLUMN: Springs given new life

The Las Vegas Valley Springs Preserve is that vacant piece of land with some old trees and broken-down structures that you see on the south side of U.S. Highway 95 as you charge into the Spaghetti Bowl.

Aboriginal people stopped there for water; European settlers congregated there in the late 19th century to swim, picnic and draw water.

The site almost fell prey to progress when U.S. 95 needed to be expanded to 10 lanes to handle the traffic flow from the northwest valley. After much civic outcry, the site was spared and freeway lanes were carved out from land to the north of U.S. 95.

Much effort put forth by the Las Vegas Valley Water District is congealing into a plan to make the springs visitor-friendly. The project will include walking trails where residents can commune with nature. The Desert Demonstration Gardens will be given a new home with room for expansion.

Carson Taylor Harvey Construction is the general contractor for the infrastructure of the project, where work began May 13.

The company has been hard at work grading for roads, and will also install street lights, utilities and retaining walls.

Company spokeswoman Robin Allen said an environmentally friendly product will be used to pave the roads. The green substance is a combination of gravel and pine tar.

"It will look like gravel but wear like asphalt," she said.

A concrete wall on the northern perimeter of the springs will act as a sound barrier against the traffic on U.S. 95. Allen said this barrier will bear engravings depicting the sun, water and plants, as well as murals illustrating native fauna such as a coyote and pocket mouse.

One of the subcontractors for the project, Parsons Brothers Rockeries Inc., will build 45,000 square feet of retaining walls along the streets. What's the news in that? The walls will be made from caliche.

Yes, caliche, the same stuff contractors curse when they're attempting to grade land; the same stuff that causes nightmares for homeowners who want to build a pool in their back yard.

A news release from Parsons cites the company's expertise in retaining wall construction. No kidding. This company has found a way to recycle one of the banes of Southern Nevada construction and make money on it.

"The natural caliche retaining walls will help preserve and enhance the natural habitat and beauty of the meadow," company President Kevin Parsons said.

"Finding enough caliche to do the job is becoming a dilemma. There is some on-site from the grading that's been done, but it's hard to find."

Parsons said developers typically bury caliche in deep fills.

"Handling it is a real problem for developers. We come in and take it off their hands and they're thrilled. They don't even have to deliver it."

He said one of the cool things about working with caliche is the equipment.

"We have this machine that picks up rocks, almost like a hand, and moves them around. It puts them in place instead of just dropping them in."

Parsons shares my enthusiasm for the park.

"This will give it a nice natural look; the caliche blends in beautifully and makes it look as though it has always been there."

Carmel Hopkins, real estate product manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun, can be reached at 380-4574. Her e-mail address is Carmel_Hopkins@ lasvegasnewspapers.com. Snail mail is P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

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