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Las Vegas's new strategy for tackling drought – banning 'useless grass':
A new Nevada law will outlaw about 40% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that is drying up the region's primary water source: the Colorado River.
Other cities and states around the US have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by the state's governor, Steve Sisolak, makes Nevada the first in the nation to enact a permanent ban on certain categories of grass. Sisolak said last week that anyone flying into Las Vegas viewing the "bathtub rings" that delineate how high Lake Mead's water levels used to be can see that conservation is needed.
"It's incumbent upon us for the next generation to be more conscious of conservation and our natural resources, water being particularly important," he said.
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, street medians and the entrances to housing developments. It excludes single-family homes, parks and golf courses.
The measure will require the replacement of about 8 sq miles (21 sq km) of grass in the metro Las Vegas area. By ripping it out, water officials estimate the region can reduce annual water consumption by 15% and save about 14 gallons (53 liters) per person a day in a region with a population of about 2.3 million.
If you want grass, go live where grass grows naturally.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by anubi on Friday June 11 2021, @10:20AM (2 children)
I am in Southern California and consider my city basically to be an artificial green paradise carved out of a desert, although my city gets on me from time to time for not watering enough. The State wants me to conserve water, but the city wants everything green... Even if its plastic grass. I just want to trade my lawn mower for pruning hooks and a pole saw. I like trees.
I have taken to touring vacant land nearby where nobody waters anything, to look for which plants are happy there. Then I will take a cutting from those I find attractive and propagate it to my yard. I have several wild plants growing now, just as green as can be, albeit I don't know what to call them.
Occasionally, neighbors see them and I invite them to take a cutting and do the same.
I have the android "leaf snap" app, which identifies my favorite find as an ash tree. Its an evergreen, but kinda pithy stems. Another stray just started growing like a little weed when I first moved here. I let it be, and today its a rather nice tree in my back yard.
Little by little, Nature is repopulating my yard with plants that like it here, just as it is.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 11 2021, @07:04PM (1 child)
that is very smart (in another universe it would be common-sense:) )!
surely something "natural" could also be edible in your case (even if just for bees)?
it seems, that there is a lot of "food waste" "in the forest where the tree falls and nobody looks" and whatever was first pushed up and then falls down (and rots!) seems to have "magical properties" for future immediate environment development (maybe it's the sugars?)...
(Score: 1) by anubi on Friday June 11 2021, @09:40PM
Yes... I have a loquat tree, some guava tree/bushes ( almost invasive! They make lots of seedlings! ) , assorted citrus, and some sort of thick tiny leaved succulent ground cover that covers itself in bright purple blooms. Covered with bees.
Just got some ivy/vines started in a eucalyptus tree i had to sacrifice because its roots were starting to wreck my neighbors concrete driveway. But i left the trunk in place and mounted three lighting globes where the three main branches used to be. I am trying to get that vine started up the trunk.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]