CARSON CITY, Nev. -- A new Nevada law will outlaw about 31% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that's drying up the region's primary water source: the Colorado River.
Other cities and states around the U.S. have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by Gov. 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, in street medians and at entrances to housing developments. It excludes single-family homes, parks and golf courses.
Nevada Assemblyman Howard Watts III, the bill's sponsor, said he hopes other western states consider similar action leading up to 2026, when they renegotiate the Colorado River's Drought Contingency Plan. He applauded Sisolak for taking concrete action on conservation.
"There's broad acceptance in southern Nevada that if we can take some grass out to preserve the water supply for our communities, then that's something that we need to do," he said. "This sends a clear message about what other states need to be looking at in order to preserve water."
The measure will require the replacement of about 6 square miles of grass in the metro Las Vegas area. Water officials estimate the region can conserve 10% of its total available Colorado River water supply and save about 11 gallons per person per day in a region with a population of about 2.3 million.
"Replacing non-functional turf from Southern Nevada will allow for more sustainable and efficient use of resources, build resiliency to climate change and help ensure the community's current and future water needs continue to be met," said Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger.
When the ban takes effect in 2027, it will apply to a region that encompasses Las Vegas and its surrounding areas and relies on the Colorado River for 90% of its water supply.
Sam Metz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
