Nevada has outlawed useless grass

[mclumber1]

Quote

In Sin City, one thing that will soon become unforgivable is useless grass.

 

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.

 

Link

 

As a Nevada resident, I have no issue with this.  Las Vegas and its surrounding suburbs are already pretty efficient with water compared to other metro areas, and this won't have an impact on residential homes and golf courses, which I think is a good compromise. Many of the golf courses already don't use fresh water - they use treated sewer water to water the grass.  Also, all of the treated water that doesn't go to golf courses and a few other users gets put back into Lake Mead to be used again. 

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

Setting up massive human settlements in the desert is folly, sheer arrogance that man can overcome nature

[mclumber1]

5 minutes ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

Setting up massive human settlements in the desert is folly, sheer arrogance that man can overcome nature

 

Well, we did overcome nature.  Obviously these communities need to be mindful of wasting resources, but it's completely feasible.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

All lawn grass should be proscribed, punishable by crucifixion.

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

Just now, mclumber1 said:

 

Well, we did overcome nature.  Obviously these communities need to be mindful of wasting resources, but it's completely feasible.

Can't declare victory when the game isn't over. Climate change is still ongoing

[mclumber1]

The twist:  The arid west will become wet and the east coast will become a desert in 100 years.  

[CitizenVectron]

1 hour ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

All lawn grass should be proscribed, punishable by crucifixion.

 

What about natural, regional plants/coverings that require no water and little maintenance? In most areas it's better to have something growing in the dirt than paving it over.

[Keyser_Soze]

Non-functional grass?

[Kal-El814]

5 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Non-functional grass?

 

Quote

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.

 

Should be applied to single family homes too, TBH.

[TwinIon]

Probably a good idea.

 

Still, I always feel like these measures are aiming at the wrong thing. Like in CA, in NV the vast majority of the water is used up by irrigation, not by public use. The article in the OP indicates this ban should conserve a very non-trival amount of water, so I'm all for it, but it doesn't come close to addressing the real water issues.

 

It's a bit like how congress is always fighting over a small slice of NASA or NIST or NIH budget, while the DOD gets a blank check and a guaranteed % raise year after year.

[Bloodporne]

2 hours ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

Setting up massive human settlements in the desert is folly, sheer arrogance that man can overcome nature

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

41 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

What about natural, regional plants/coverings that require no water and little maintenance? In most areas it's better to have something growing in the dirt than paving it over.

 

Rocks only.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 minute ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

Rocks only.

 

Wade wants the ground to be as tough as the meat he eats.

[Uaarkson]

4 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

Rocks only.

 

tbh a yard full of cacti would be a pretty brutal defense network too

[Guest]

Replacing grass with rocks is a brilliant idea if you want more flash floods in rainy places

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

2 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

Replacing grass with rocks is a brilliant idea if you want more flash floods in rainy places

I'm shocked that @Commissar SFLUFAN isn't for proper erosion control as it's part of the reason we got so many Italian immigrants in the US in the early 20th century

[mclumber1]

12 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

Replacing grass with rocks is a brilliant idea if you want more flash floods in rainy places

 

Flash floods are a concern here in Vegas.  There is a network of underground tunnels built for that purpose, but most of the time they are occupied by the homeless.  

[Remarkableriots]

Too many Californians moving to Nevada!

[Jason]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

"Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built"

Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built

GIZMODO.COM

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The historically low levels threaten to strain the region's supply of drinking water.

 

[LazyPiranha]

34 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

"Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built"

Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built

GIZMODO.COM

---

The historically low levels threaten to strain the region's supply of drinking water.

 

Will it also allow us to discover bodies of rednecks killed by Burt Reynolds?

[mclumber1]

1 hour ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

"Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built"

Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built

GIZMODO.COM

---

The historically low levels threaten to strain the region's supply of drinking water.

 

 

My boss was saying that this past memorial day weekend, there was only one operational boat ramp on the lake, as the others had to be closed down because the lake level was so low.  Apparently there was a 2 hour traffic jam just get your boat in the water. 

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

21 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

 

My boss was saying that this past memorial day weekend, there was only one operational boat ramp on the lake, as the others had to be closed down because the lake level was so low.  Apparently there was a 2 hour traffic jam just get your boat in the water. 

Won't someone please think of our big beautiful boaters

[CitizenVectron]

So, uh, what happens if Las Vegas runs out of water? What's the alternate way of supplying it to the city?

[Jason]

Just now, CitizenVectron said:

So, uh, what happens if Las Vegas runs out of water? What's the alternate way of supplying it to the city?

 

[Remarkableriots]

Where they going to get all the water needed for these new big tech corporation counties?

[Littleronin]

13 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

So, uh, what happens if Las Vegas runs out of water? What's the alternate way of supplying it to the city?

 

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has been trying to take water from Northern Nevada for years and get a pipeline built. First they tried taking from the Western side of the state and got told to pound sand pretty quickly. Now they are trying to do the same with the Eastern side of the state and run a pipeline up through places like Ely and Elko. The big problem with doing that is we don't really have the water to give them. 

[SuperSpreader]

4 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said:

Where they going to get all the water needed for these new big tech corporation counties?

[mclumber1]

12 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

So, uh, what happens if Las Vegas runs out of water? What's the alternate way of supplying it to the city?

 

It would be politically disastrous to take away the metro area's main water source, compared to cutting off or curbing water usage by other entities.  Looking at the map, Las Vegas and its suburbs are the largest metro area that is directly served by the river. There is quite a bit of ground water in the valley though.  So as a last resort, the area could start pumping water from down below. 

 

Just now, Littleronin said:

 

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has been trying to take water from Northern Nevada for years and get a pipeline built. First they tried taking from the Western side of the state and got told to pound sand pretty quickly. Now they are trying to do the same with the Eastern side of the state and run a pipeline up through places like Ely and Elko. The big problem with doing that is we don't really have the water to give them. 

 

Most of the water along the river is being used for irrigation of crops in California and Arizona.  I think California is going to have to pony up and install more desalination plants along the coast to manufacture water suitable for irrigation use.  

Colorado River Basin Focus Area Study: Water Use

WWW.USGS.GOV

 

[mclumber1]

10 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said:

Where they going to get all the water needed for these new big tech corporation counties?

 

What counties are you referring to?

 

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

3 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

I think California is going to have to pony up and install more desalination plants along the coast to manufacture water suitable for irrigation use.

There's a lot of room to reduce water usage outside of this, but yeah the feds should pony up some $$$ for desalination

[Littleronin]

29 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

 

It would be politically disastrous to take away the metro area's main water source, compared to cutting off or curbing water usage by other entities.  Looking at the map, Las Vegas and its suburbs are the largest metro area that is directly served by the river. There is quite a bit of ground water in the valley though.  So as a last resort, the area could start pumping water from down below. 

 

 

Most of the water along the river is being used for irrigation of crops in California and Arizona.  I think California is going to have to pony up and install more desalination plants along the coast to manufacture water suitable for irrigation use.  

Colorado River Basin Focus Area Study: Water Use

WWW.USGS.GOV

 

Our state's usage of the Colorado River for water is really low compared to the surrounding. I believe we are at 2%, Arizona is the leader and that is why they will take the biggest hit when it comes to cut backs. We bank on the snowpacks here to directly feed our supply, and frankly the last few years it just hasn't been there. This year is bad enough that we are getting some water trucked into our reservoir from the somewhat nearby horse ranch. And we have also put in a new pump house for a new well. 

 

[CitizenVectron]

I can fill up a few 2L bottles and send them by FedEx, if it helps.

[Littleronin]

We are there yet. But I have noticed that more people in town are buying up all the bottled water (well the cheap Safeway store brand water, anything over $3 a pack is still on the shelf). Which you know just causes more trash, so I guess there is no winning here. 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

This book is looking more prophetic with each passing day.

 

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi - windupstories.com

WINDUPSTORIES.COM

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Paolo Bacigalupi, New York Times-Bestselling author and National Book Award Finalist, dives once again onto our uncertain future with his first thriller for adults since his...