Lawns use such an incredible amount of water, particularly people maintaining them in deserts, like in Arizona and parts of California. It boggles my mind that people go out of their way to put so much effort and resources just into having grass in front of their house that they mostly don't use.
> Honestly, if you're maintaining a lawn in places that don't get year-round rain, you need to water it.
Only if you want to grow non-native species and always have it looking like a magazine cover.
My house is sitting in a five acre clearing covered in whatever flora decides to grow there, with minimal "curation" (tend to avoid cutting beautiful native flowers to encourage them to spread, do try and deal with removing things like poison ivy).
When it rains, everything greens up, grows quickly, needs lots of mowing. If it doesn't rain for a few weeks while the sun cooks it, some things will go a bit brown and lifeless. Then the next rain comes and it all perks right back up. When winter comes, it all sits under the snow for months and months and when the snow melts it picks right back up where it left off.
Most of these plants were here before we were and they'll be here after. They don't need my help.
> If it doesn't rain for a few weeks while the sun cooks it, some things will go a bit brown and lifeless. Then the next rain comes and it all perks right back up.
You're right that "only if you want to grow non-native species" because of course a "lawn" in an area where it will die in the summer is by definition non-native.
But you're missing the point about climate, because not raining "for a few weeks" is not the same as living in a place as "wet" as the northwest where it still doesn't rain a drop for 3-4 months in the summer.
I haven't investigated it because I don't have kids, but I think whatever comprises a typical domestic lawn is a better play/recreation surface than any kind of plants that are native out west.
I think the alternative is artificial surfaces which of course have benefits and drawbacks.
I'm hoping to replace my lawn with low/no-water alternatives soon, but, hey, landscaping is expensive.
Honestly, if you're maintaining a lawn in places that don't get year-round rain, you need to water it. I grew up in Seattle and it never occurred to me that there were places where you didn't need to water a lawn.