Las Vegas is a desert, there is no way around that fact. For a hundred years, the attitude of residents in Las Vegas has been that if there is enough money, we can completely recreate the area that we live in, making it into a paradise even though it is one of the harshest climates on the face of the earth. This is because there has never been much reason to live here if all you are considering is the weather, Las Vegas was actually formed as a stopover for people traveling across the desert and needing to restock and resupply. Basically, the one thing that Las Vegas had going for it was that it was positioned around the halfway point of the Mojave Desert. Other than that it was too hot, too dry and to harsh to live here comfortably. The success of selling supplies to travelers allowed the small amounts of residents back then to buy or build things that would make their lives easier, and the invention of air conditioning, indoor plumbing and Lake Mead created a situation where residents could live very comfortably, at least inside. Once the casino industry made Las Vegas rich, the desire to actually create an oasis in the desert out of sheer will power and money took hold, and even the residents of the city began to follow the lead. We could now do things that were once completely impossible, like growing a grass lawn in the middle of the desert. By simply adding enough water to the daily care of the grass, you could recreate the lush environments of far more hospitable areas. But just because we could do it does not necessarily mean that we should.
Las Vegas has grown significantly over the years, and our water supply has not been able to keep up with the growth. Lake Mead has dwindled to only 28% capacity of what it once had, due in part to both increased demands and needs by the population as well as an ongoing drought. This has meant that we must all participate as a community to conserve the water that we have on hand, just to assure that all living things have the ability to drink. In order to accomplish this, we as a community have placed restrictions on use of water and rules regarding it’s waste.
One of the most successful ways that we encourage the conservation of water in Las Vegas is through the rebate program associated with artificial grass. The city encourages all residents to rethink our mistakes of trying to grow grass lawns in the desert, and encourages all residents to remove those lawns and install water smart landscaping. These kinds of things are desert landscaping items, pavers and synthetic grass. If you remove your sod under these programs, you will receive a rebate of up to 3 dollars per square foot against the costs of installation of the new ground coverings. This includes any approved surface, even artificial turf for a putting green! Find out more about these programs by contacting us today.