The days of huge, unused swaths of public and commercial lawns appear to be numbered in California and the Metropolitan Water District is offering an incentive to hasten their demise, at least in Southern California: A whopping $7-per-square-foot rebate to businesses, schools and other public institutions that replace their thirsty lawns with sustainable landscapes containing native and/or drought-tolerant plants …. thanks to a $30-million grant from California’s Department of Water Resources and $96 million from the federal Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program.

Other water conservation news:

• The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: News release: Metropolitan funds six research projects to explore innovative water-saving ideas
• State Sen. Jerry McNerney: News release: Calif. legislature greenlights McNerney’s bill to help drought-proof Calif.
• Dairy Herd Management: Blog: California’s dry dilemma: no clear winners in the battle for water conservation
• AP News: Rainwater harvesting grows in the Southwest and beyond to nourish thirsty gardens in a hotter world