Look at different grasses, Kat. The one that is popular down here if people take the time to make the switch over is Buffalo grass. I don't know if it would do well in your area but for North Texas it is heat tolerant, drought tolerant, and looks kind of like a thinnish Bermuda.

Gotta run today--later I'll look at the rest of your pics and see if I can find anything over at the subscription side of the Dirt Doctor site that might help. Meanwhile, have you checked online at your state ag university? They usually have tons of local research and information.

SRS