Coyote Springs, Nevada facts for kids
Coyote Springs, Nevada, is a planned community being built in Lincoln County and Clark County, Nevada. It was first planned by developer Harvey Whittemore and Pardee Homes. Later, Thomas Seeno and Albert Seeno, Jr. became the main owners. As of June 2018, no homes had been built there.
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What is Coyote Springs?
Coyote Springs is a large area where a new town was planned to be built. It was designed to include homes, businesses, and other facilities. The goal was to create a modern community from scratch.
Where is Coyote Springs located?
The community was planned to cover about 43,000 acres (17,000 ha) or 65 square miles (170 km2). Most of it is in Lincoln County, but the first building plans were for the part in Clark County. Coyote Springs is located between U.S. Route 93 to the west and the Meadow Valley Mountains to the east. It's less than an hour's drive from Las Vegas City and the Las Vegas Strip.
The Coyote Springs valley has several large dry riverbeds called washes, like the Pahrangat Wash and the Kane Springs Wash. You can only get to the community by U.S. Route 93 and Route 168. The ZIP Code for Coyote Springs is 89067.
History of Coyote Springs Land
The land where Coyote Springs is located used to belong to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In 1988, a special law allowed the government to trade this land. They exchanged about 29,000 acres in Coyote Springs Valley for about 5,000 acres of important land in the Florida Everglades. This trade helped protect endangered animals in Florida.
The company that received the land, Aerojet Corporation, first planned to build rocket factories there. However, they never built anything. Aerojet then sold the land to another company in 1996. In 1998, the Coyote Springs Investment group bought the land with the idea of building a planned community.
Building the Golf Course
Construction of a golf course began in 2005. This course was designed by the famous professional golfer Jack Nicklaus. It officially opened in 2008.
Plans for Solar Power
In 2009, a company called BrightSource Energy announced plans to build a large solar thermal power plant in the area. This plant would have produced 960 MW (1,290,000 hp) of electricity. The first part of the plant was supposed to be ready by 2012. However, the project faced delays and never started construction.
Electricity and Delays
For a while, electricity for the area came from generators. But in 2012, a proper electricity substation was opened.
Building the community itself was supposed to start after a special groundbreaking event on July 5, 2006. However, there were problems with water rights and environmental rules that caused delays. Also, a big economic slowdown in the United States put construction plans on hold. As of September 2016, the main construction of the community had not yet begun.
Environmental Concerns
Coyote Springs has faced some concerns, especially about its impact on the environment.
Protecting Wildlife
Environmental groups, like the Center for Biological Diversity, have worried that the development could harm endangered animals. They are especially concerned about the desert tortoise and the moapa dace. The moapa dace is a small fish that lives in the Muddy River, north of Las Vegas. These groups believe that using too much water and changing the natural habitat could put these animals at risk.
Both the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Nevada's water authority have stated they are also interested in protecting the moapa dace. In May 2018, the Nevada state water engineer, Jason King, stopped further development of Coyote Springs due to water concerns.
