Nevada has a desert climate. The same seasonal setback strategy applies in Nevada as it does in California and Colorado, though the monthly setback percentages may differ slightly.
Heres an interesting link that talks about runoff on hardbaked clay soils found in Southern Nevada (the following link takes you to the Southern Nevada Water Authority site):
http://www.snwa.com/html/land_irrig_cycle.html Be sure to watch the interactive "cycle and soak" animation available on this page.
The link is interesting because it shows how cycle and soak methodology is beneficial even for non-sloped surfaces. (Cycle and soak is usually recommended for sloped areas).
To prevent runoff, even on a flat area, water must be applied at the same rate that the ground can absorb it. So instead of having one cycle run for say 15 minutes, which might cause runoff, one could, for example, schedule three cycles of 5 minutes each, with an intervening delay of say 30 minutes. Water from the first cycle will moisten the ground and increase it's capacity absorb water. Water from the second and third cycles can then absorb into the ground and into the roots instead of running off.
With LawnCheck it's very easy implement a cycle and soak program with one mouse click using the Multi-Cycle feature.
