When I was growing up, the creeks that feed into the Mississippi River in South St. Louis, Missouri, provided me with a wet playground. Westerners, too, speak of playing in wetlands or places that resemble them. One youngster pointed to the wash as a prime source of specimens for school frog-jumping contests. Such stories reveal a kind of wishful romanticism about life in the wash. But, as they mature, the kids who once used the Valley's water drainage system to gain a more intimate appreciation of nature may return to engage in a wider range of experiences.
Social problems afflicting our young people are well-known.
For example, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has consistently had one of the country's highest dropout rates, its highest juvenile incarceration rate, and its highest and most rapidly escalating teen suicide rate. In addition, area teens have a pregnancy rate and birth rate that rank among the top ten in the nation, and underage gambling is commonplace. For many teens, the local wash, with its many hidden niches, becomes a natural place to hang out, drink, smoke, and explore their sexuality. Here, beyond the critical eyes of parents and other authorities, youngsters may also encounter adults who take shelter in the washes because they cannot find or are not interested in finding other accommodations. One such resident of a local wash has been mixing with this young crowd for more than eight years.