Like many communities in the American Southwest, Las Vegas is facing a prolonged drought that is forcing policy leaders to make tough decisions about how best to mitigate the declining water supply. In 2021, state lawmakers passed a measure that ostensibly banned all irrigation of so-called “non-functional turf.” The law officially goes into effect next January, but the Southern Nevada Water Authority has already begun working to replace that grass with more drought-tolerant landscaping, mostly through rebates for customers who choose to re-landscape. A lawsuit is now challenging the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s grass removal program in federal court. The suit claims that the program’s enforcement is overzealous and is potentially causing environmental harm.

Other water conservation news:

• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Landscape experts ask Colorado to “embrace the beige” for drought adaptation
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Are less-thirsty crops a solution to Colorado’s growing water problems?