Drastic Times and Drastic measures taken at Lake Mead

The article "Water Use in Southwest Heads for a Day of Reckoning" by Felicity Barringer describes the new measures taken to install a intake valve 1,000 feet below the current intake valve due to the drastic drop in Lake Mead's water level.  The article was written in 2010, on the heels of an 11-year drought in the southhwest.  The Colorado River was (is) drying up at a rapid rate and everyone is searching for solutions.  This 11 year drought has brought the water levels to its lowest point in 100-plus years. This article also takes quotes from Pat Mulroy, Southern Nevada Water Authority, discussing the trouble Las Vegas would be in if the water hits "shortage" levels.  This article is very similar to "The Future is Drying up" and "Las Vegas bets on Desert Water Pipeline as Nevada Drinks Itself Dry" in discussing the water problem in the southwest.  All of these articles describe the drying conditions of the southwest and most significantly, Las Vegas.  This particular article describes how Las Vegas homeowners use their water; 70% towards outdoor use.  This statistic has begun many water regulations around the city, with over 150 million dollars towards incentive for less outdoor water usage.  Many homeowners are switching to various types of different landscapes, but have a tendency to still maintain a yard. Delores Cormier, a local resident on the south side of Las Vegas says that she "reconfigured her front and side lawns, installing a rocky cover and drip irrigation. Under a water authority program known as Water Smart Landscapes (colloquially, Cash for Grass), she has received $2,689 in utility subsidies that will offset the $5,600 or so she said the xeriscaping cost her" (4).  She has yet to see her water bill decline, but she still maintains a small portion of grass because she confesses, “I need some lawn” (5).