HENDERSON, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District hosted a grand opening of Nawghaw Poa Road and a temporary visitor contact station at Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area May 19.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District oversaw construction of the road and adjacent trail, bike lanes, and parking.
“Based on recent public input, improving access to Petroglyph Canyon was the top priority at the NCA,” said Tim Smith, BLM Southern Nevada District Manager. “We had already created 44 miles of trail but we heard you when you asked for a paved access road, installation of a temporary visitor contact station and added amenities like restrooms, kiosks and increased parking."
For this project, the City of Henderson and the BLM partnered on designing the road.
"Jeff Owens, a civil engineer with the Arizona-Nevada Area Office, worked as the project engineer to ensure the plan met Corps specifications," said Project Manager Claudia Garcia. "It was an amazing team effort, we finished ahead of schedule and on budget."
The Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 established the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area and the North McCullough Wilderness.
As part of this act, the BLM was required to develop a plan for the appropriate use and management of the NCA.
"Ken Wong worked very closely with the BLM to develop the environmental assessment," said Garcia. "And, the Nellis Resident Office Contracting Officer's Representative Viet Tran, and construction representatives Jake Narciso and Robert Reid were all instrumental."
Friends of Sloan Canyon and others are volunteering to staff the new contact station and BLM has hired a law enforcement ranger, a park ranger and an outdoor recreation planner, all dedicated to the NCA.