“ If we were to disturb
the beauty of the Mesa,
we would be a part of
letting someone make
millions of dollars;
if we maintain the
beauty, we will be a part
of providing that beauty
for millions of our
friends, neighbors
and loved ones".
Bill Nicholes, Mayor, Mesquite, NV
For more information contact
Nancy Hall
P.O. Box 3664
Mesquite, NV 89027
(702) 277 - 3337
(702) 346 - 3723
birdladynv@yahoo.com
Photos by
David Bly
Desert Valley Times
Scenic Nevada
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Flat Top Mesa — Mesquite (Lincoln & Clark County)
Summary
Providing an indelible connection to the growing community of Mesquite, Flat Top Mesa dominates the landscape for miles around and is cherished for its scenic views and biodiversity.  Its prominence on the landscape led to the adoption of Flat Top as the symbol for the city logo - a silhouette of the mesa with a yellow setting sun behind it.
Flat Top Mesa is about 12 miles southwest of the Nevada-Utah-Arizona boundary marker in the northeastern Mojave Desert. The federal Bureau of Land Management controls the 7.25 square miles within the Mesquite city limits.
The Landscape
Flat Top is a sandy landscape most likely created during a cataclysmic outfall of water ripping through the stone-capped mountain crust. It is one of those remaining islands in the sky and is relatively untouched by the rapid development assailing southern Nevada.
The mesa, covering about 4,600 acres, is full of plant, animal and insect life, including desert tortoises, horned toads, rabbits, Gila monsters, Arizona blister beetles, hawks, ravens, lizards, ant colonies, rodents and a variety of bird species.
Geologically unique features include smaller mesas that stand isolated from Flat Top and create dramatic views from Flat Tops edge. The diverse area includes a Joshua tree forest and dunes with yucca trees. On the southern edge of the mesa, sage, buckwheat and creosote bushes dominate.
The Threat
The threats to this beautiful and diverse region are impending and intensive residential development, poor planning of transportation and utility corridors and the ever-present and uncontrolled off-highway and all-terrain vehicle use.
The foremost threat is development. A congressional land disposal act allowed 1,230 acres of the northern tip of Flat Top in Lincoln County to be sold to a private owner, even though the Mesquite City Council set aside money for the purchase.
The parcels include the majority of the Joshua tree forest, containing about 5,000 mature trees. A planned roadway through the same region will directly impact the forest and sand dunes there.
Without controls in place, off-highway and all-terrain vehicles are allowed to traverse the mesa, causing habitat destruction.
The Solution
The Mesquite Master Plan designates the mesa and its foothills as open space. The city is taking steps to have the mesa preserved through a lease purchase from the BLM under the Recreation and Public Purpose Act (1926). The City of Mesquite also will have a role in the Lincoln County Master Planning process and, regarding Flat Top Mesa, will encourage similar land-use policy there.
As more people discover Flat Top as a place for recreation, it might be necessary to have the region designated as something other than open space. Protection could be in the form of a conservation easement or a state designation as a recreation area or park.
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