Learning From Boulder City’s Mistakes
Nevada just passed a smart law that could prevent more planning disasters like what happened in Boulder City. Any city or county with more than 100,000 people must now think about extreme heat when they plan new projects. This isn’t government overreach. It’s common sense.
Look at what the Bureau of Reclamation did in Boulder City. They ripped out beautiful grass and mature trees in front of their building.
The USBR Admin. Building in Boulder City, NV will implement a water-saving xeriscaping landscaping project. The lawn will be replaced with drought-tolerant and native trees, shrubs, and plants, conserving an estimated 2 million gallons of Colorado River water annually. pic.twitter.com/NtohtBAOQZ
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr) November 25, 2022
What did they replace it with? Concrete park benches, a concrete sidewalk and plenty of stone and brick work that one local writer compared to “Fred Flintstone’s place.”
Not just a landscaping project! The Lower Colorado Basin Region broke ground today, signaling the start of a project to remove the lawn at two of its Boulder City, Nevada, locations and install water-saving xeriscaping, saving an estimated 2 million gallons of water annually. pic.twitter.com/LbdGbsIoi6
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr) March 10, 2023
The result? A barren landscape so hot and uninviting that sure-footed burros would fake a pulled hamstring. They called it water conservation. But saving water doesn’t mean creating a moonscape that nobody can use.
We have some information about the Bureau of Reclamation landscape project at the Administration Building at the top of the hill. Naturally, many of us were not happy to see the grassy hill go away. It was a symbol of “clean, green Boulder City”. But the grass cost a lot of money… pic.twitter.com/7uSrEEUkyn
— Boulder City Social (@BCSocialNV) December 3, 2024
Governor Joe Lombardo, a Republican, signed Assembly Bill 96 into law. This is the same bill he rejected two years ago. The new version is better. It requires cities to plan for shade, cooling centers, and drinking water. But it doesn’t tell them exactly how to do it.
Why This Makes Sense for Conservatives
Smart planning isn’t big government. It’s good government. Cities are already building stuff anyway. Parks, bus stops, sidewalks, and buildings. The law just says: think about the heat when you build.
Nevada had 527 heat-related deaths last year in Clark County alone. That’s more than one person dying every day from something we can prevent. Most were homeless folks or elderly people without air conditioning. Simple shade structures could save lives.
Cities like Las Vegas already supported this law. They know their residents are suffering. Las Vegas already promised to plant 60,000 trees by 2050. This law doesn’t force them to spend more money. It just makes sure they think smart about what they’re already spending.
The Boulder City disaster shows what happens when people focus only on water savings. They forgot that parks need to be usable. Benches that burn your skin aren’t saving money. They’re wasting it.
Desert Landscaping Done Right
You can save water and still create places people want to visit. Desert landscaping works when you include shade trees, covered walkways, and smart design. Arizona figured this out years ago.
Nevada’s law lists what cities should consider: “access to public cooling spaces, public drinking water, cool building practices, shade over paved surfaces and other mitigation measures to address heat in the community.”
Notice it says “consider,” not “must build.” Cities get to choose what works for their budgets and neighborhoods. That’s local control.
Las Vegas already has plans that make sense. Marco Velotta, the city’s chief sustainability officer, said :
“The city of Las Vegas welcomes the passage and approval of Assembly Bill 96. As the city makes its update to the 2050 Master Plan, it looks forward to working further with community stakeholders on even more ways to address shading, improving the tree canopy and other heat mitigation efforts.”
The Real Problem Is Poor Planning
Heat kills more people than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined. Most of these deaths are preventable with better planning. Poor neighborhoods in Las Vegas have far fewer trees than rich areas like Summerlin. This creates “heat islands” where temperatures get even hotter.
Conservative voters should care about this. These are our neighbors dying from something we can fix. Government’s job is protecting life and property. Planning for extreme heat does both.
The law takes effect in July 2026. Cities have time to figure out smart solutions. They don’t need to copy Boulder City’s rock pile approach.
Critics Have Valid Concerns
Some worry about costs and government mandates. Elizabeth Ray from Governor Lombardo’s office said he was supportive of the changes to the bill that clarified language about what is specifically required as components of heat mitigation plans.
The final version is much better than the original. It gives cities flexibility while requiring them to think about heat. That’s reasonable.
Cities are already spending money on parks and infrastructure. This law just makes sure they spend it wisely. A shade structure over a playground costs the same whether you plan for it or add it later. Planning ahead saves money.
Looking Forward
This law could make Nevada a model for other hot states. Arizona, Texas, and Florida face similar challenges. If Nevada gets this right, other places will copy the best ideas.
The law requires cities to update their master plans anyway. Adding heat considerations costs almost nothing extra. The planning happens either way.
Conservative voters should support smart policies that protect life without breaking budgets. This law does exactly that. It prevents the kind of planning disasters that waste taxpayer money and make communities less livable.
Nevada’s heat law isn’t perfect. But it’s a lot better than letting cities create more Boulder City rock piles. When it’s 115 degrees outside, people need shade, not stone sculptures.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
