I did have fenders on my Trek at one time, but they constant rattling of pebbles being picked up by my tires was more than I could bear.
I do have the occasional sprinkler river to deal with, but so many homes & businesses here have "desert landscaping", so I really do not have much water to deal with ever. Besides, where I live, people have their sprinklers run VERY early. Like 4~5 AM early. When the sun comes up and it's 100F by 8AM, if you water your lawn then, you'll fry the grass dead!
I still have the fenders for if ever I feel the need to put them back on.