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June 26, 2023

Why Removing Turf Won’t Save Us

City Cast Las Vegas

Why Removing Turf Won’t Save Us

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Earlier this month, a ProPublica investigation uncovered a massive flaw in SNWA’s calculations: Their turf removal program, which was estimated to remove some 3,900 acres of nonfunctional grass, might only remove as little as 1,000 acres, not nearly the amount of Colorado River water savings as predicted. So how did this happen in Las Vegas, a city held up as a model of water conservation in the Southwest? Co-host Dayvid Figler talks with ProPublica environment reporter Mark Olalde about the investigation he co-authored, and what solutions lie ahead for Las Vegas if turf removal isn’t as impactful as we’d hoped.


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