▁British ▁capital ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁sw amp ▁it ▁was ▁before ▁Roman ▁times . ▁The ▁H ouses ▁of ▁Parliament ▁and ▁the ▁C lock ▁Tower ▁of ▁Big ▁Ben ▁still ▁stand ▁amongst ▁the ▁mar sh y ▁ru ins . ▁C attle ▁and ▁fro gs ▁th rive . ▁Imperial ▁Valley , ▁once ▁the ▁biggest ▁producer ▁of ▁f ruits ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁returns ▁to ▁a ▁sand y ▁desert . ▁The ▁f ruits ▁and ▁veget able ▁cro ps ▁grown ▁here ▁were ▁ir rig ated ▁with ▁water ▁p ump ed ▁in ▁through ▁a ▁pipe ▁system ▁from ▁the ▁Colorado ▁River , ▁but ▁now ▁the ▁pip ing ▁has ▁been ▁dry ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁century ▁and ▁the ▁c rop ▁fields ▁have ▁been ▁lost . ▁The ▁buildings ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁still ▁stand , ▁but ▁all ▁the ▁whe at ▁cro ps ▁have ▁with ered ▁away . ▁D ry ▁wind s ▁still ▁maintain ▁most ▁of ▁Las ▁Veg as ' s ▁buildings ▁int act . ▁After ▁the ▁power ▁went ▁off , ▁the ▁f ount ains , ▁t aps , ▁and ▁po ols ▁ran ▁dry , ▁and ▁with ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁inches ▁of ▁ra inf all ▁a ▁year , ▁desert ▁s ands ▁are ▁beginning ▁to ▁swe ep ▁in ▁and ▁eng ulf ▁the ▁city . ▁They ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁refuge ▁for ▁v ult ures ▁and ▁desert ▁l iz ards ▁now . ▁ ▁( 2 0 0 ▁years ▁A . H .) ▁Ex cess ive ▁water ▁pressure ▁dest ro ys ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁d ams ▁on ▁the ▁Colorado ▁River . ▁The ▁Ho over ▁Dam ▁still ▁surv ives .