Nevada bans 'non-functional' grass

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Drought-stricken Nevada enacts ban on ‘non-functional’ grass

A new Nevada law will outlaw about 31% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that’s drying up the region’s primary water source: the Colorado River.

Other cities and states around the U.S. have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by Gov. Steve Sisolak makes Nevada the first in the nation to enact a permanent ban on certain categories of grass.

The ban targets what the Southern Nevada Water Authority calls “non-functional turf.” It applies to grass that virtually no one uses at office parks, in street medians and at entrances to housing developments. It excludes single-family homes, parks and golf courses.

[NewYorkExpress]

Drought-stricken Nevada enacts ban on ‘non-functional’ grass

A new Nevada law will outlaw about 31% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that’s drying up the region’s primary water source: the Colorado River.

Other cities and states around the U.S. have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by Gov. Steve Sisolak makes Nevada the first in the nation to enact a permanent ban on certain categories of grass.

The ban targets what the Southern Nevada Water Authority calls “non-functional turf.” It applies to grass that virtually no one uses at office parks, in street medians and at entrances to housing developments. It excludes single-family homes, parks and golf courses.

The ban should include golf courses, but otherwise we're on the right track.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

There's a new show on HBO about a woman with a comedy show in Las Vegas.  One of the subplots involves her getting huge fines from the city for watering her grass too much.  I had no idea this was actually so topical.

[GP270watch]

 Traditional lawn maintenance is so environmentally destructive. We could grow other ground covers that actually are good for the environment and don't need water, constant maintenance, and harmful chemicals to look good. Xeriscaping has caught on in a lot of places as well but not quickly enough.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Traditional lawn maintenance is so environmentally destructive. We could grow other ground covers that actually are good for the environment and don't need water, constant maintenance, and harmful chemicals to look good. Xeriscaping has caught on in a lot of places as well but not quickly enough.

Moss yard! Moss yard! Moss yard!

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I thought this thread was about marijuanna.

[If my soul was made of stone]

The exporting west of the archetypal suburban grassy lawn, often an excessive folly even in its homelands, was a farce and a crime against nature, and those folk are reaping what they've sown now. Desert flora is delightful and it baffles me that it was rejected in these parts in favor of resource-intensive hegemony from the east.

The ban should include golf courses, but otherwise we're on the right track.

[It’s so Joever]

The idea of a plain grass lawn seems so inefficient to me. It’s a giant waste of space and resources.
Why not grow vegetables in that space instead, or keep animals?

[The Free North]

Las Vegas is an environmental calamity. The city should be abandoned.

[Hope For A New Era]

Freedom Ban!

Now Utah needs to do it. At least in certain counties (Washington).

[Benjamin Frank]

The Brady Bunch were ahead of their time in so many ways.

[Joe Republic]

I'm happy to have played a part in the passage of AB356.   (Albeit in a fairly uninteresting, bureaucratic way.)

It’s somewhat worth noting that the original version of the bill affected the whole state, but was amended to pertain specifically to the Colorado River watershed, i.e. southern Nevada.  Northern Nevada and the Truckee/Tahoe watershed don’t have quite the same shortage concerns, and a milder climate (with regular snow in the winter).

However, while this ban will certainly make a big impact, the problem is far from over.  Rising house prices will stimulate developers to construct even more housing (i.e. suburban sprawl), which will strain Lake Mead even more.  It’s expected to hit its lowest level ever… today.

[Joe Republic]

Las Vegas is an environmental calamity. The city should be abandoned.

Sure thing, so Nevada becomes another R+20 state with two permanent GOP senators?  I mean, if that’s what you want…

[Joe Republic]

Freedom Ban!

Now Utah needs to do it. At least in certain counties (Washington).

Don’t worry, while Nevada is taking tangible steps to reduce water waste, Utah is also taking drastic action:


https://twitter.com/wish_tv/status/1400902358603812866?s=21

[Joe Republic]

There's a new show on HBO about a woman with a comedy show in Las Vegas.  One of the subplots involves her getting huge fines from the city for watering her grass too much.  I had no idea this was actually so topical.

That really is a thing.  During the spring and summer, the city is divided up into different districts by the water authority.  Residences would be permitted to water their yards on Mondays and Thursdays, for example.  Egregious flaunters would be issued fines.

[MasterJedi]

If I had a house I'd turn the backyard into a pond and most of the rest with native plants. Neighbors would probably have a coronary at it though.

Waiting for the group to scream about "freedom" to have grass though.

[If my soul was made of stone]

Freedom Ban!

Now Utah needs to do it. At least in certain counties (Washington).

Don’t worry, while Nevada is taking tangible steps to reduce water waste, Utah is also taking drastic action:


https://twitter.com/wish_tv/status/1400902358603812866?s=21

White settlers massacred and infected the people of the Southwest who knew how to rain dance, only to find when their fossil fuel burning created droughts that their false gods couldn't do anything about it even when faced with overwhelming supplication. Such is the great tragic irony of colonialism.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Very curious to see what these spaces are replaced by. Lots of perennial Great Basin bunchgrasses can be used instead which would provide tons of benefit over lawn grass and can look just as good. I wonder if they can provide any added cooling benefit (although certainly not as much as trees which also guzzle water) and if there's a suitable replacement that's easy to walk and play on.

Seems very plausible that this will create very invasible pockets of space for cheatgrass to inhabit - in my experience this has already happened with a lot of xeroscaping and "native" plantings in Colorado. I suppose that cheatgrass has already taken over most of the developed/semi-developed land in Nevada though.

[Fight for Trump]

Great decision, and they should also move to encourage private residences away from grass too.

[Joe Republic]

Great decision, and they should also move to encourage private residences away from grass too.

That’s been happening for about fifteen years now.  Residential developers are already incentivized to incorporate xeriscaping in their new builds instead of turf.  Existing homeowners are also offered a rebate for converting their lawns to xeriscape.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor, the Southern Nevada Water Authority will rebate $3 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with desert landscaping up to the first 10,000 square feet converted per property, per year. Beyond the first 10,000 feet, the Water Authority will provide a rebate of $1.50 per square foot.

[Hope For A New Era]

Freedom Ban!

Now Utah needs to do it. At least in certain counties (Washington).

Don’t worry, while Nevada is taking tangible steps to reduce water waste, Utah is also taking drastic action:


https://twitter.com/wish_tv/status/1400902358603812866?s=21

Spencer Cox is such an odd guy.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Freedom Ban!

Now Utah needs to do it. At least in certain counties (Washington).

Don’t worry, while Nevada is taking tangible steps to reduce water waste, Utah is also taking drastic action:


https://twitter.com/wish_tv/status/1400902358603812866?s=21

Nothing wrong with what Spencer Cox did here. In isolation anyway...

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

I'm happy to have played a part in the passage of AB356.   (Albeit in a fairly uninteresting, bureaucratic way.)

It’s somewhat worth noting that the original version of the bill affected the whole state, but was amended to pertain specifically to the Colorado River watershed, i.e. southern Nevada.  Northern Nevada and the Truckee/Tahoe watershed don’t have quite the same shortage concerns, and a milder climate (with regular snow in the winter).

However, while this ban will certainly make a big impact, the problem is far from over.  Rising house prices will stimulate developers to construct even more housing (i.e. suburban sprawl), which will strain Lake Mead even more.  It’s expected to hit its lowest level ever… today.

Sacramento needs some of that Tahoe water. (But we really do need fewer lawns)

[Hammy]

They need to shut those water-wasting fountains off as well.

[Joe Republic]

They need to shut those water-wasting fountains off as well.

The Bellagio fountains pull their water from a private well underneath the resort, which was dug to feed the predecessor property's even thirstier golf course.  The water is then processed and sent back out to Lake Mead.  To your point though, 12 million gallons a year are needed to replenish the water that evaporates in the 110° dry summers.

In any case, only 7% of Lake Mead's water supply is used by the hotels and casinos (including their fountains).