The guide

You have two honest paths: a cool-season lawn that needs more water, or low-water native grasses that go dormant in winter.

• Cool-season grasses (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass) stay green longer but need regular irrigation.
• Native warm-season grasses (blue grama, buffalograss) use far less water but brown out in cold months.
• At about 6,100 ft, follow northern-New-Mexico turf guidance rather than southern-NM recommendations.
• Right-size the lawn to functional areas; over-watering is the most common high-desert lawn mistake.
• Mow high, water deeply and infrequently in early morning, and establish at the right season.