Since sustainability is featured in the latest issue of WaterWorld magazine, I thought we could take a look at what the war on grass actually looks like in Las Vegas. While it can, at first glance, seem a bit tyrannical, and I never thought there would be a law prohibiting a person from watering the lawn, I am shocked at the amount of water that has gone by the wayside. Especially now, in a time that energy economy, wild weather patterns, and drought around the country seems ongoing, maybe other districts should consider following Southern Nevada Water Authority’s lead.
In 2021 the Nevada Legislature enacted AB 356. If grass is categorized as “nonfunctional turf,” it must be removed by December 31, 2026. Beginning January 1, 2027, it will be against the law to use water from the Colorado River to provide life to grass determined to be decorative (nonfunctional).
The Southern Nevada Water Authority Nonfunctional Turf Removal Advisory Committee found that “unused grass in Southern Nevada soaks up about 12 billion gallons of water every year; the equivalent of more than 10 percent of Nevada’s entire allocation of water from the Colorado River.” By removing nonfunctional turf, it says, “Southern Nevada can save about 9.5 billion gallons or 29,150 acrefeet of water per year.”
The law does not apply to single-family homes, schools, parks, or our beloved-by-many golf courses. Any establishment seeking to retain grass may submit an application for a waiver at snwa.com by showing it complies with the definition of functional.
Interested readers can learn the definitions of nonfunctional and functional turf outlined by the committee in the recommendations portion of the recommendations report from November 2021 at https://www.snwa.com/assets/pdf/ntrac-2021-recommendations-report.pdf.
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