TAYLORSVILLE — The traditional green lawn may soon be a thing of the past in Utah.
With a growing population and limited water resources, experts say the future of landscaping is water-wise.
“We’re always thinking about water conservation,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson.
Nearly 60% of residential water use happens outdoors, and the average single-family home uses 2,000 gallons every time they irrigate their yard.
As part of the statewide Slow the Flow campaign, Salt Lake County and Utah Water Ways are working to revitalize yards by replacing grass with drought-friendly options like native plants, hybrid turf and smart irrigation systems.
“We’d love for this to be the new norm,” said Alan Packard, General Manager of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District.
A newly unveiled demonstration yard in Taylorsville is already showing what’s possible. With a full landscaping makeover, the yard is now expected to save more than 58,000 gallons of water per year. Homeowner Lindsey Taylor is thrilled with the result.
“It’s nice to not have to worry about watering the grass, and we can keep water in our lakes instead of on our lawns,” she said. “I think it’s going to make a big difference.”
Salt Lake County, Utah Water Ways and cities like Taylorsville hope more families will follow suit, re-imagining the traditional lawn to meet Utah’s growing water challenges.
“What we’re hoping is that the public at large, homeowners, business owners, schools (and) government buildings make changes to achieve durable conservation,” Packard said.
Through the Slow the Flow rebate program, Utah homeowners can earn up to $3 per square foot for replacing grass with water-wise landscaping. Visit slowtheflow.org to find out more.
