Editorial: Common sense for desert living

Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald must have forgotten he lives in the desert.

At a subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, McDonald voted against legislation that would limit grass on new developments. Councilman Larry Brown favors the water conservation plan, but because the two-member subcommittee deadlocked, it now goes to the City Council on Aug. 10 without a recommendation.

A wide array of groups support the proposal -- water officials, developers and other business leaders -- but McDonald sees the plan as an unwarranted government intrusion. "It's the first step in Big Brother looking over a person's shoulder," McDonald said.

This is the kind of rhetoric someone would expect from an ill-informed gadfly who suspects government conspiracies are lurking around every corner. What's distressing is that this view is held by an elected official representing one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, a city that happens to be right in the middle of the desert.

But this isn't an issue about big government. This is an issue about how to best conserve water and preserve our quality of life. Water is arguably the most important issue facing the valley. Acting on distorted logic like McDonald's could spell disaster for Las Vegas. The area's continued economic vitality could be threatened someday, possibly requiring draconian water restrictions, if reasonable measures to conserve water aren't taken now.

The bill would limit grass to 25 percent of the land for a new business development. New single-family homes would have to limit turf in front yards to 50 percent. In multi-family homes, apartments and condominiums, the bill would allow 30 percent of the landscape to be grass.

It's not as if this is the first time that local government has sought to conserve water. There already is an ordinance in place that limits what time of the day homeowners and businesses can water their lawns. The Southern Nevada Water Authority estimates that if the turf bill is passed it would save 98 million gallons of water a year.

If members of the City Council want to maintain the trust of voters who elected them to make forthright decisions on tough issues, then they should support this modest water conservation proposal. The fact is this plan doesn't go far enough in conserving water, but it is an important step that should be taken.

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