Here’s a look at the motivation to conserve water — primarily financial — from Colleen O’Connor writing for The Denver Post. From the article:
That year [2002] was brutal. People tried to conserve water. They turned off backyard fountains and let their ponds dry up. But it wasn’t until the recession that began in December 2007 that there was a real shift in the way people approached their landscapes…
“But that was short-lived. It lasted about a year. We kept having the same education with the public and clients, but nobody paid any mind to it until about a year ago.” Suddenly, new irrigation technologies became popular. “People were trying to save money because of the recession,” Scott Huston said. “Wealthy people on big estates were tired of paying the water bill.”[…]
In January, Gov. John Hickenlooper proclaimed 2012 the Year of Water, and communities across the state are hosting activities from Xeriscape garden tours and classes in Pueblo and Aurora to the “H2012” exhibition in the Art District on Santa Fe through June 30…
Phil Steinhauer, president of Designscapes Colorado, has noticed a shift in things such as size and function. “I remember 10 years ago, everyone wanted lots of grass,” he said. “I very rarely hear anyone say that now. They want a nice, usable yard, with a nice patio and maybe a firepit.”
More conservation coverage here.