The Las Vegas Springs & Creek It all started with water.  Rising from the underground aquifers about four miles west of this point, springs supplied Las Vegas Creek with a year-round supply of water that flowed for several miles before being lost in the desert.  For thousands of years the creek was the site of seasonal camps for various groups of native people who hunted the animals and collected the wild plants that grew at this oasis.  Later the creek provided early travelers with a welcome place for water and feed. Started in 1855, the water was used for irrigating crops and orchards by the Mormons and later ranchers.  The city of Las Vegas was founded in 1905.  After that time, the spring water was diverted into the town's water system and the creek largely dried up. This segment of the creek has been re-created to give visitors a glimpse of what once flowed here.