Grass – Is It a Thing of the Past in Colorado?

Grass, an oddly satisfying texture on your feet that always seems to be cool to the touch, could be becoming a thing of the past.

While a verdant lawn is as iconic as a white picket fence when we think of an “American front yard”, the requirement of a precious commodity, water, is driving the new norm to exclude landscaping with grass.

Colorado Passes Turf Replacement Bill

Colorado recently signed House Bill 22-1151 into law. This House Bill requires the Colorado Water Conservation Board to develop a statewide financial incentive program to inspire voluntary turf replacement for homeowners, local governments and nonprofits. 

The new law will allocate $2 million to finance the “Turf Replacement Fund” which could include expanding statewide existing city programs that pay between $1 and $3 per square foot of grass that is removed.

How this impacts Landscaping in Colorado

Under the bill, “water-wise” landscaping includes replacement turf and drought-tolerant plants that require less water to grow. 

Towns in the state of Colorado are also jumping on-board to further expand the bill. For instance, Castle Rock, CO signed a new ordinance, passed in October of 2022 by the town council, limiting new grass lawns. The ordinance will ban residential grass lawns in front yards and limit backyard grass to no more than 500 square feet. This will apply to all new homes permitted for construction after January 1, 2023. 

Artificial Grass & Drought Tolerant Landscape Alternatives

Let’s talk “Turf Replacement” with some drought-tolerant alternatives to grass lawns:

Drought-Tolerant Plants for Colorado Landscapes

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Our team specializes in large-scale landscaping and year-round services for commercial properties. If you’re looking for help in maintaining your commercial landscape, contact us online or give us a call 720-912-9456 to get started.