For excursions out of town, the Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead and the Valley of Fire will satisfy your nature-loving soul.

BBC: Discover life in the Nevada desert

The fatal pressure release took place at a project known as Intake No. 3, which is under way near Lake Mead.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

And like many a fellow environmentalist, she is concerned that urban sprawl is now encroaching on surrounding conservation areas like Lake Mead, Spring Mountain and Red Rock Canyon.

BBC: NEWS | Science/Nature | Vegas heading for 'dry future'

For most of the past century, agriculture has been the winner of the water wars, receiving the great bulk of water from the Colorado River and its two large reservoirs at Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

NPR: Struggling over Water: A Series Overview