Hitting the turf

Tired of your water-guzzling lawn or spending half your Saturday mowing it? The City of Durango has a solution that will not only save you money and time, but help save water in the process.

From now until funds run dry (get it?), the City of Durango will be paying residents to rip out or replace their lawns with more waterwise turf or landscaping.

Rebates are capped at 1,000 square feet for residential properties and 3,000 square feet for commercial properties. The program provides rebates of $2.50 per square foot for replacing water-intensive grass with more water-efficient landscaping or $1.50 per square foot to replace turf with approved low-water turf. 

"We are offering this in response to feedback from community members and participating local landscaping companies," City Sustainability Manager Marty Pool said. 

Interested residents and businesses must work with an approved, participating local landscaping company (found on the City’s website). In addition, before beginning a project, participants must undergo a free consultation on their water consumption and potential turf-replacement options. Completion of the consultation will reserve a participant’s spot on the rebate funding list. Rebates will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

This is a pilot year for the program, which has three primary goals:

• Provide education and advice on outdoor water consumption and the benefits of alternatives to water-intensive turf.

• Incentivize local businesses and organizations to replace turf with native and natural landscaping to conserve water and reduce maintenance.

• Support state-wide efforts to track and better understand the impact of turf replacement.

The program launched this past spring, with eligibility originally limited to schools, churches, nonprofits and low- to medium-income multi-family residences. However, based on feedback from community members and remaining funds, the City decided to expand the program to all residents. 

The program is funded by a $25,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, $15,000 from the City of Durango and $10,000 from Visit Durango.

For info., go to: www.DurangoCO.gov/TurfGrassReplacement