Vegas Tells Homeowners They Can Reinstall Grass

TTTTLAS VEGAS – The Southern Nevada Water Authority says property owners can convert their native landscapes (Xeriscapes) and synthetic turf lawns back to turfgrass if they repay the agency for rebates to get rid of their turfgrass in the first place, reports the Las Vegas Sun.
The Sun reports that about 5,500 people have received the rebates since the SNWA began offering them in 2004 to encourage water conservation. The newspaper did not give a reason why the water authority voted 6-1 to allow property owners to reinstall turfgrass.
A related article in the Sun said that a heavy snowfall in the Rocky Mountains is responsible for Lake Mead rising 30 feet this past year.
Lake Mead, which captures water from the Colorado River, was created after construction of the Hoover Dam and is the main source of water for Las Vegas. The lake’s elevation had dropped nearly 100 feet over the past decade.
Even so, the SNWA’s action to allow property owners to reinstall turfgrass, providing they repay the rebate they received plus interest and administrative fees to Xeriscape their properties, sends a confusing message, says critics of the move.
The SNWA, which is seeking new sources of water for the region, continues to encourage the conversion of properties by offering a residents a rebate of $1.50 per square foot to rid their properties of turfgrass.