Las Vegas, NevadaThe Colorado River system, upon which Las Vegas relies for water, is already in the worst drought on record. Lake Mead’s water level has dropped by more than 100 feet since January of 2000, leaving the Lake more than 4 trillion gallons below capacity as regional population continues to grow.The drought has been caused in part by years of warming temperatures and below-average snowfall in the Rocky Mountains. This has decreased the spring and summer runoff from the mountains into the Colorado River, and may offer a preview of the larger consequences of continued warming temperatures. The Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) water conservation program includes a combination of regulations, water pricing, education and incentives to encourage more efficient use of water. The most notable of these programs is SNWA’s Water Smart Landscapes Program that offers rebates of up to $2 per square foot to customers who replace turf grass on their property with water-efficient landscaping. Since its inception the program has provided more than $85 million in rebates and saves more than 5 billion gallons of water annually. This and other conservation efforts reduced Southern Nevada’s water consumption by more than 18 billion gallons between 2002 and 2006 even as the population grew with the arrival of nearly 330,000 new residents. Patricia Mulroy - Climate Change Presentation, November 7, 2007 Patricia Mulroy - Testimony Before the Senate Energy Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, October 11, 2007 
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