NEWS
WHEN THE GRASS ISN’T GREENER Local efforts are targeting Boulder County’s thirsty turf BY SHAY CASTLE
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s state lawmakers handle homeowners associations’ addiction to green lawns, local governments and organizations are targeting turf outside the confines of HOAs through incentives of their own and replacement of governmentowned grass. Locally, Resource Central is leading the landscaping revolution with its turfconversion, irrigation analysis and garden-in-a-box programs. The Boulderbased nonprofit has partnered with nearly 50 water utilities along the Front Range, “including pretty much all of Boulder County,” according to Resource President Neal Lurie. Since 2016, Resource estimates it has saved 1.5 billion gallons of water through its various programs. They
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started turf removal four or five years ago, Lurie said, after a survey revealed that physical removal of grass was the biggest barrier for homeowners. Lurie estimates the company will complete 1,000 lawn removals next year. “Water-wise landscaping is rapidly becoming the norm in Colorado,” he says. While no local governments appear to have outright banned Kentucky bluegrass in Boulder County, some municipalities have more strict rules than others. For example, Lafayette does require new developments to limit landscaping to water-friendly options and limits lawn-watering to certain hours, no more than three days a week.
“All new commercial, multiREBATE ROUNDUP family, and common areas/rightMore information about your town’s of-way landscaping in new resiturf replacement rules: dential subdivisions … must be designed such that no more than 15 gallons per square foot ERIE per year will be required to Rebates of $1 to $2 per square foot for maintain,” wrote city spokesperlow-water grasses and garden plantings up son Debbie Wilmot, in response to 1,000 square feet. Replacements and to emailed questions. “The City new construction eligible. Learn more and is in the process of reviewing apply: bit.ly/erie-turf-rules our land use code and will likely consider landscape regulations LAFAYETTE with any revisions in the future.” $25 discount on Resource’s Garden-in-aLafayette is also setting a Box kit. Various rebates on water-efficient good example for private resisprinklers and drip systems. dents, by xeriscaping seven Learn more: bit.ly/lafayette-water City facilities. Other local governments have joined them in LOUISVILLE ripping out and replacing thirsty $25 discount on Resource’s Garden-inturf. a-Box kit. $500 discount on Resource’s Longmont tore up Kentucky Lawn Replacement Program. bluegrass in front of its Hover Learn more: bit.ly/louisville-turf Street service center and went with a wheatgrass blend that SUPERIOR reduced water use 30-50% on Free indoor and outdoor water audits via the site. A consultant is working Resource’s Slow the Flow program. on recommendations for new Various rebates for rain barrels and waterlandscaping rules that will limit efficient drip and sprinkler systems. non-essential turf on governLearn more: bit.ly/superior-water ment, commercial and industrial properties. LONGMONT “We feel really passionate $750 discount for the Resource about getting our own house in Central program of your choosing. order and being efficient before Various discounts and rebates for we mandate that our residents water-efficient upgrades. do that,” says Hope Bartlett, Learn more: bit.ly/longmont-water Longmont’s water conservation specialist. BOULDER Erie will replace 24,000 $500 discount on landscape conversion square feet of bluegrass outthrough Resource. Learn more: side its service center next bit.ly/boulder-water year, according to water conservation specialist Dylan King. Thanks to a state grant, Erie offers its Before you plant anything, it’s a own rebates for lawn conversions. The good idea to check with your local town replaced more than 50,000 government (or HOA, if you have one). square feet of turf in 2022 and 82,018 Resource’s water-wise gardens and square feet in 2023. gardens-in-a-box are pre-approved by “We’re very proud of that,” King says. local partners, Lurie says, so no worries there. Lurie recommends redoing your WANT TO YANK yard in sections, starting with at least OUT YOUR YARD? 200 square feet (the minimum for Homeowners looking to level up their lawns should do two things, Lurie said: Resource’s removal program). Turf replacement starts in late winter or First, check resourcecentral.org/lawn. spring (frozen ground is too hard to Select your water provider to see what remove) so “winter time is the perfect discounts, rebates and incentives they time for planning,” he says. offer. BOULDER WEEKLY
