Via Scienceline, here’s a chart showing the amount of acre-feet of water used in a year for different “crops” in the US. It’s a cumulative total, represnting just how much “lawn” there is on the country, versus all the agricultural land.
Here you go:
You can see that there’s an awful lot of lawn, and its very thirsty. It’s an additional thing to think about as we discuss setbacks, lot sizes, etc. Minnesota doesn’t necessarily have water shortages, but especially for places that rely on groundwater (like many of the suburbs), keeping the lawn green is a big drain on the water supply.
The article itself goes into detail on the relationship between lawn (aka. turf grass) — coming from homes, golf courses, and parks — and the US water supply, which varies a lot depending on region.
Bonus:
Here’s a map!
