Las Vegas is a desert. There is no way around the fact that the region is part of the Mojave, and area that has a climate that is compared to Afghanistan. Our summers are incredibly hot and our winters are far colder than they would see in areas like California, and as a result the plants that are natural in this area have adapted to the lack of water and harsh weather. Most plants that grow here naturally are not very green in color, and are usually quite low to the ground and not very appealing looking. This look is adaptions that allow them to survive here, yet human beings still try to change their environment to be something that it is not, importing palm trees and green grasses to use as ornamental landscaping. This probably started with the casinos that tried to portray themselves as an oasis in the middle of a wasteland, done so to appear more special than any building around them. Artificial watering systems allowed them to bring in exotic plants that would only be found in lush environments like the tropics, and guests were impressed by the oddity of these lush grounds surrounded by sand and rocks. That mentality began to bleed over to the residents, who started to look at their homes as a way to change the desert, and the idea of lush landscapes in Las Vegas was born. After a while, we had imported so many plants from other areas that our very climate started to change, becoming more humid and also being infested with insects like bark scorpions which were once not found here. The landscape may have become unique, but that does not mean that it was the correct thing to do.
Las Vegas has the Hoover Dam which creates a water reserve that people rely upon to survive. The abundance of water was once able to easily sustain both the living things in the area as well as any plants that were brought in for decoration, but the valley has grown so populated over the last 30 years that we no longer have enough to assure clean drinking water for all residents. When a drought hits that causes the water levels in reserve to go down even further, we end up with an emergency. There is a critically low level of water in Lake Meade now, and all residents must do theri part to conserve as a result. This means cutting down on landscaping that wastes water. This means getting rid of the grass lawn that is not right for this area.
The SNWA offers rebates and discounts to encourage you to remove your grass. A single square foot of grass will use more than 55 gallons of water in a year, and every gallon of that could be used for drinking. To encourage you to move to something like artificial turf, the SNWA will rebate you 3 dollars for every square foot you remove and replace. Save water and save money at the same time, replace your grass with artificial turf today.