We Just Ripped Out Our Lawn And Then I Read This
My wife and I recently had our landscaper conduct a lawn removal project in our backyard. We want to do our part to conserve water. And, of course, we also want lower water bills.
The rebate check from the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) program for grass removal was also an incentive.
Why Does Nevada Offer Rebates For Lawn Removal
SNWA offers these rebates for lawn removal to help the driest state in the nation, Nevada, conserve water. Thousands of acres of turf have been removed throughout Southern Nevada since the program began in 1999. That’s according to an article written by Nat Lash, Mark Olalde, and Ash Ngu which I found on Projects.Propublica.org.
New Nevada Law Hopes To Conserve Even More Water
Their article goes on to explain that SNWA doubled-down on this strategy recently to help conserve more water. Back in 2021, the Nevada Legislature passed a law “mandating the elimination of non-functional turf.” So basically, no more decorative lawns.
SNWA’s Estimates May Be Incorrect
Based on this law, the Water Authority estimates that 3,900 acres of grass would be eliminated in six years.
So, Propublica did their own research and found that their estimates may be incorrect. It’s too high because they checked SNWA’s own aerial photographs. And those photos show it will be more like 1,100 acres of grass eliminated in six years.
Southern Nevada Needs To Conserve Water Elsewhere
The lawn removal program in Southern Nevada may have worked well and saved money the past couple of decades. But now, the authorities must find new ways to get us all to conserve water.
All Southwestern States Need To Conserve Water
Per Propublica’s article, the federal government is currently considering cutting our water supply from the Colorado River. There won’t be enough water conservation even if all urban areas in the Southwest United States cut back on water use.
Experts say that agriculture and industrial companies must join in the water conservation efforts. They believe that’s the only major way to conserve enough water as Clark County continues to grow.
I Still Think We Made The Right Move In Our Backyard
Well, I still think we made the correct decision for our home. That lawn was sure nice to look at, but we rarely used it. And now, we have pavers out there in that area. We hope to make it more of a gathering place when entertaining.
The area in our backyard where we used to have grass. We replaced it with pavers. Two metal benches sit there now, but we’re hoping to get patio furniture in there when we get that rebate check from SNWA.
Plus, we’re not using as much water to keep that grass green. And, hopefully, we’re saving money each month on our water bill.
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Larry Martino is the long-time Afternoon Drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.
