Agriculture & Natural Resource Committee Signs Off on Bipartisan Water Conservation in Landscaping Bill

DENVER, CO – Today, the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee passed Senator Dylan Roberts’, D-Frisco, bipartisan bill to more efficiently conserve water by prohibiting the use of water guzzling non-native turf grass on seldom used areas. 

SB24-005, co-sponsored by Senator Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, would promote water-wise landscaping by prohibiting the installation of nonfunctional turf, invasive plant species, and artificial turf in any newly developed commercial, institutional, industrial, and state property. It also applies to other little-used areas like parking lots and medians. This would help the environment not only by saving water, but by reducing reliance on pesticide and gas powered lawn equipment, while opening up space for native plants that naturally survive in Colorado’s climate and support our local birds and bees.

“Protecting our limited and threatened water supply is one of the biggest priorities for the communities I represent on the Western Slope," said Roberts. "As we work to conserve our water resources, it’s essential that we make smart decisions now to prevent overuse in the future. This bill would reduce unnecessary landscape water usage and further position Colorado as a leader in effective water management.”

Outdoor watering of landscaping uses about half of all municipal water. Much of this is used to grow non-native turf grass, which requires large amounts of water to thrive. While some turf is used for parks, sports fields, and yards, much of it serves no community purpose, such as highway frontages and strips alongside industrial properties. The state has supported turf replacement as a key tool for water conservation, and now this bill focuses on limiting its installation in the first place. 

By transitioning away from non-native turf grass, the bill encourages developers, city planners, and managers to choose plants that thrive in Colorado’s semi-arid climate, as opposed to non-native, water-intensive plants such as Kentucky bluegrass or invasive species. 

SB24-005 will now head to the Senate floor. You can follow the bill’s progress HERE.