Climate reality threatens Lake Las Vegas
Lake Las Vegas is one of those bizarre things that only could happen here. I thought of it this weekend because I was in San Diego. On the flight back, the attendant demonstrated the procedure for putting on life vests in case we landed on water while flying over the desert.
Well, there's Lake Las Vegas, a 320-acre man-made lake that has high-end developments and very rich people living around it. The Review-Journal offers this summary of the environmentally preposterous development: "Lake Las Vegas has two luxury hotels, a casino, an Italian-theme shopping and restaurant area, three golf courses, marinas and 1,600 completed residences, including one owned by singer Celine Dion, according to the Clark County assessor's Web site."
Dion's heart could go on when the Titanic sank, and I wonder if she can fly above this as well. Her home's value may be another issue. Lake Las Vegas has filed for bankruptcy and, according to the Review-Journal, without a court-approved infusion of cash for maintenance on a pipe under the lake, there is a risk the "lake" will drain away for good. The Review-Journal offers this quote from the Chapter 11 filing: "While lives and property would not likely be threatened, it is possible that the open pipe would function as the equivalent of a drain in the lake, causing the water to enter the pipes and be taken out to the wash.... The project would lose a considerable amount of its appeal were it built around a dry lake bed."
Is it all right to laugh? An expert consulted in the story says that this scenario is actually unlikely.
Still, Lake Las Vegas has always struck me as preposterous. And, yes, there is a huge difference between this and the artificial lake in front of the Bellagio. The Bellagio offers a Vegas attraction that only appears to defy nature. But I honestly think if people want a real lakefront house and/or lake vacation, going to a lake is not too much to ask of them; and, at the same time, creating a lake in Nevada may be demanding a bit much of the desert.
Lake Las Vegas is an abomination. The bankruptcy filing is just the first step to removing this ecological insult. Nevada is only going to get drier as global warming continues, look at half-empty Lake Mead. Yet they build this giant lake to make pretend as iif you are not in the middle of the Mojave desert. What a sad product of the real estate bubble, it will be nothing but dust and tumble weed in 10 years.
Posted by: shiny | July 30, 2008 at 11:25 AM
We live at Lake Las Vegas and absolutely love it. The current problems associated with the general housing and mortgage crisis in America have, indeed, affected all of the Southwest, including Lake Las Vegas. The problem with Lake Las Vegas is the same as every other major development that was aggressivly planned by Developers who felt that the bubble would never burst. If you really want to check out how badly things are at Las Vegas, consider the number of condo projects that went belly-up or have been cancelled on the Strip!
Lake Las Vegas is not just a preposterous project. It serves as a backupwater supply to the valley, should Lake Mead become contaminated (or worse). It is alos not as agressive as many of the lakes in the Scottsdale, Phoenix area in Arizona.
Clearly, Lake Las Vegas in the past has been good enough to attract the Loew's and Ritz-Carlton folks, 3 signature golf courses (with a fourth in progress but on hold) and also the Waldorf-Astoria brand of Hilton -- a timeshare project which has not been cancelled but is also hold, due to market conditions)
The creditors of Lake Las Vegas are willing to put another $127 million into the project as post-bankruptcy financing. Does that portend the end of LLV to you?
Howard and Jean Selland
Posted by: Howard Selland | July 30, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Los Angeles is an abomination. Do you even know where you get your water from? You steal half of it from the Mojave Desert. Lake Las Vegas is nothing compared to the amount of watter that is drained from Lake Mead to water your lawns in Southern California.
Posted by: Steve | July 30, 2008 at 06:35 PM
The Ritz-Carlton has been on the market but unable to attract any buyers.
Posted by: David McKee | July 31, 2008 at 03:40 PM
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I wouldn't let anyone say anything bad about LA. Just like I can't allow LA to say anything bad about my now home in Las Vegas. You tourists come to Las Vegas. And don't say you don't. If you are from LA you come to Las Vegas. Economic problems or not. It's a quick get away. And it's easy to talk about a place you only visit. But we live here. Who do you think hands you your Starbucks or your LA Times when you are away from home.
Some of us miss LA and like to visit Lake Las Vegas. The golfing is some of the best in town! And the surrounding real estate is the best most luxurious prime properties. So on that note...we'll handle our issues you handle yours. Oh one more thing. I can breath easier here too. We don't have an outrageous real estate market, nor the overcrowded freeways that haven't improved in over thirty years! We can get anywhere in Las Vegas in 45 minutes. can you say the same!!!!!!!!!
Viva Las Vegas!!!! And you'll still come and spend your money and increase our economy!
Posted by: Nancy Shaw | August 01, 2008 at 03:49 PM
I am a professor of geological studies and I am sorry to say that within 17 years, Lake Las Vegas WILL be gone. To put it in laymans terms: The lake is not deep enough and relys on Lake Mead which shows an ever increasing decline with each passing year. Do your research of each years decline for the past twenty years and water allocated to Lake Las Vegas. The lake will become a golf course.
Posted by: Donald Smith | August 03, 2008 at 02:58 PM
LLV is adjacent to Lake Mead and from a satellite view, looks like a part of the lake. It's actually a great development and a wonderful alternative to the glitter and glamour of the strip. Unfortunately, that alternative is also it's biggest problem... it's not the strip.
What LLV needs is a Red Rock type of resort casino built on the undeveloped portion of the Lake. Casinos, clubs, nightlife... etc. All needed badly in order for LLV to become a serious resort destination.
Montelago Village and the LLV cannot sustain itself with the wedding crowd and the occasional Ritz Carlton convention. They need a shot of fun in order to keep people wanting to come back for more.
I own a vacation house at LLV because it is a convenient location for me to boat on Lake Mead. I rarely go into the Village, because it just seems like a ghost town most of the time... they just need something to get the money crowd there and staying put after the sun goes down.
Also, for the professor of geology above: Lake Mead is supposed to get 80' of water by the end of the year according to the marina manager at Overtons... I will take the opinion of that crusty old guy any day over your alarmist views of Lake Mead drying up. Sorry, but I just don't buy into your Global Warming alarmism.
HZ
Southern California
Posted by: HanGZen | August 04, 2008 at 04:57 PM
Like the Sellands & HanGZen, I too own at Lake Las Vegas. My husband and I are full-time residents and purchased here because it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful locales in the valley. Obviously we're not happy about the ownership/financing turmoil over the last year, but we have no doubt that Lake Las Vegas is not going anywhere. That's not just wishful thinking; our opinions are based upon the facts that (1) Lake Las Vegas is home to some of the smartest money on the West Coast, both residents and non-resident stakeholders; plus, the City of Henderson will do everything within its power to sustain LLV, (2) Lake Las Vegas' struggles are explicitly tied to the real estate situation in Las Vegas and throughout most of the country, and will be greatly helped once a sense of stability comes over the real estate industry, and (3) $127M was recently secured & approved to be used as working capital from Wall Street investors -- those investors simply don't throw good money after bad. Since Transcontinental was pushed out, the new owners of Lake Las Vegas have had 1 goal: cut costs while maximizing profits. So, right now is not a growth period for LLV. But, given that it has grown to over 1600 ultra-luxury homes in just over a decade (not to mention attracting brands and names like Ritz-Carlton, Loews Corp, Hilton's Waldorf=Astoria, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, and Tom Weiskopf) shows how quickly its popularity grew. We can't wait to see what Lake Las Vegas looks like in 10 years!
We believe in our community so much that we recently created an all-encompassing community site for Lake Las Vegas. If you're interested, check it out & let us know what you think: http://www.OwnLakeLasVegas.com.
-Linne & Tony
Posted by: Linne Karstensson | August 16, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Are you aware that the Hyatt already sold their hotel and the Ritz Carlton is for sale? What does that tell you?
Posted by: John Noll | August 25, 2008 at 02:37 PM
By 2017, there is a 50 percent chance that Lake Mead could drop so low that Hoover Dam could no longer produce hydroelectric power. Water allocation to a "Lake for leisure" will not be a priority. I was going to purchase a house in Lake Las Vegas, however after doing my research there is no way I would purchase here.
Posted by: Caily Hanson | January 06, 2009 at 05:49 AM