Authorities in Western U.S. Agree to Rip-Up Grass Lawns for Water Conservation

Mike Letterman

Nov 25, 2022, 10:49 AM
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Boats are seen in low water at the Antelope Point Marina in Lake Powell on the Colorado River in Page, Arizona, on September 4, 2022. - More than two decades of severe drought have left the Colorado River and its second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell, at critical levels, as climate change leads to increased heat and decreased precipitation.

A group of agencies that provide water to millions of customers in the western U.S. have agreed to rip up grass lawns in public spaces as part of an effort to reduce water usage.

The agencies signed on to the agreement last week. The pledge states that it will remove 30% of grass lawns and replace them with shrubs and trees that are resistant to climate change. Many well-manicured lawns will be removed by the agencies.

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A lot of water is used by grass lawns. According to a study co-authored by NASA scientists, up to 75% of a household's water use could be attributed to grass that grows in arid states. The Southern Nevada Water Authority encourages property owners to swap grass lawns for plants that absorb more water.

A spokesman for the Southern Nevada Water Authority told Earther that replacing the grass with trees and plants would save about 10 billion gallons of water.

The commitment is not very detailed. They didn't explain how they would expand water recycling efforts. The agreement didn't mention how the agricultural industry will lower its water use, but it did acknowledge that cities don't use up most of the water coming out of the river. The Colorado River provides about one-fifth of the water used by urban areas. Cities can't solve the math problem. The general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority said that they can help solve the problem.

Some communities in the west are already feeling the effects of recent water restrictions. A small town of 500 people in Arizona may be without water by the end of the year. The town doesn't have its own water source, but it has a supplier. It was announced late last year that it would stop delivering water to the town in three years. The cutoff was due to the Colorado River water shortage. The town of Scottsdale gets most of its water from the river and officials are trying to reduce usage by not delivering water to the town.

If the region doesn't reduce water usage from the Colorado River, major reservoirs could dry up in three years It doesn't seem like the country's water problems will go away soon. The U.S. is in for another dry winter according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Most of California, Nevada, and Utah are expected to continue to experience dry conditions.

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