MESA – Kelly Gleave converted his grass lawn to xeriscape in April. In June, he and his wife saw a 3,000 gallon reduction in their water use.

“For me, it was less about maintaining the grass and it was more about the fact that the Valley is getting a lot of people and we need to do more to conserve water,” said Gleave, who’s one of 450 Mesa homeowners who have taken advantage of the city’s grass-to-xeriscape incentive.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced in August that deliveries of Colorado River water – the majority of which is used for agriculture – to Arizona would be cut an additional 21% next year.

According to the bureau, megadrought and low runoff conditions accelerated by climate change have resulted in record low water levels in Lakes Powell and Mead, the two largest reservoirs in the country.

Because of the cuts to Arizona’s water and the state’s climate conditions, homeowners should consider sustainable ways to use water, according to...

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By Sydney Witte - Cronkite News