California cuts grass watering down as drought dries West

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Grass in office parks, on college campuses or in some California neighborhoods will go brown this summer. State water officials on Tuesday adopted a ban on watering some green spaces as the drought drags on, though it doesn’t apply to parks, sports fields or people’s lawns. The vote by the State Water Resources Control Board comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom warned broader, mandatory water restrictions could be coming if Californians don’t step up their conservation. The board is also requiring most of the state’s more than 400 local water districts to adopt stricter conservation measures, regardless of their local supply.