Transformative Landscape Change & Turf Replacement Initiatives

Transformative Landscape Change Initiatives

Through collaboration with stakeholders, experts, and local communities, the CWCB has spent recent years researching transformative landscape change practices and supporting statewide turf replacement efforts to reduce water use while considering climate, population pressures, and other ecosystem benefits. The Colorado Water Plan, Agency Action 1.7, directs the CWCB to explore Colorado's transformative landscape change practices, including turf replacement. These practices aim to decrease outdoor municipal water demand and increase efficiency while preserving resilient, livable, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor environments.

Background

Colorado receives a statewide average of 17 inches of annual precipitation. Even though this average varies significantly across the state due to diverse topographical features, it generally means that many vegetation types need supplemental irrigation to thrive. Addressing this issue to reduce outdoor municipal water use requires a cultural shift embracing transformative landscape change and incorporating lower water-use plants and grasses that complement Colorado's natural beauty while promoting responsible water use. However, Colorado-appropriate and resilient water-wise landscaping goes beyond just turf replacement. It embodies the xeriscape principles that call for practices that include efficient irrigation and ongoing maintenance to promote sustainable landscape creation and management.

This page provides links and background to recent transformative landscape change and turf replacement initiatives. The CWCB will provide any updates and links to related projects on this page regarding current and future efforts and initiatives.

Transformative Landscape Change State-of-the-Science Report

This report, directed at Agency Action 1.7 in the Colorado Water Plan, draws upon existing research and the best available data to identify best practices for developing and maintaining sustainable urban environments that decrease overall water consumption. It explores the complexities of outdoor municipal water use and presents key findings and data-driven insights to promote resilient urban environments. The report can be found on the right side of this page under "Transformative Landscape Change State-of-the-Science Report."

DIY Landscape Transformation Guide

This statewide DIY Landscape Transformation Guide (Guide) was developed collaboratively with Denver Water, Resource Central, and expert stakeholder input. The detailed step-by-step instructions are for Colorado residents interested in learning more or creating water-wise landscapes on their property. The Guide consolidates best practices and general information to support Coloradans in developing more resilient and sustainable living landscapes. It is intended to be adopted as a resource to support local initiatives and shared with the public and communities. The Guide can be found on the right side of this page under "DIY Landscape Transformation Guide."

2023 Urban Landscape Conservation Task Force

The Urban Landscape Conservation Task Force (task force) was a first-of-its-kind initiative centered on water-saving solutions that go beyond turf removal to advance urban landscape transformation - a key focus in the 2023 Colorado Water Plan. In 2023, Governor Polis charged the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) with facilitating discussions across a diverse 21-member task force. Members included 8 water utilities, 2 water conservation and/or conservancy districts, 2 environmental non-governmental organization representatives, and several single seats. The task force met eight times in 2023 to develop consensus recommendations and areas for further research, which are identified in the full report. The link to the CWCB Engage task force page can be found on the right side of this page under "Related Projects."

Exploratory Economic Turf Analysis (2023 and 2024)

In January 2023, before the launch of the state's pilot Turf Replacement Program, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) released an exploratory economic analysis of the potential costs and benefits of turf replacement in Colorado. The topic of turf replacement - an effort primarily intended to save water but also driven by myriad other factors - has continued to appeal to the collective interest of water policy leaders across the West. Increased information and data from advances in turf replacement across the state allowed CWCB and BBC Research and Consulting to collaborate on an updated and complementary report released in January 2024. This revised analysis builds on the 2023 Exploratory Analysis. It aims to refine the understanding of the amount of turf grass in Colorado, the water savings associated with removing this turf, and the potential turf replacement costs. The link to the 2023 and 2024 exploratory reports can be found on the right side of this page under "BBC Research and Consulting 2023 and 2024 Exploratory Economic Turf Analysis."

Turf Replacement Grant Program

To learn more about the Turf Replacement Grant Program, please visit https://cwcb.colorado.gov/turf. CWCB anticipates that the grant program funding from the last application cycle ending on February 28, 2025, will be fully awarded at the May Board Meeting. This will utilize the last of the program funds. At this time, CWCB is unaware of any further funding being designated for the grant program.

Water Plan Grants

Through Water Plan Grants, CWCB can also provide grant assistance for initiatives and projects around Conservation & Land Use Planning projects, including turf replacement programs. Links to recent and successful turf-related Water Plan Grant applications can be found on the right side of this page under "Recent Transformative Landscape Change Water Plan Grants."

Resource Central Turf Replacement Support

In 2023, the CWCB Board approved a $1.5 million Water Plan Grant to Resource Central for a 3-year initiative to advance turf removal and replacement projects across Colorado. The grant will expand outreach and implementation to the Western Slope, increase residential turf removal, engage new partners, and pilot innovative efforts. More information is in a 2023 CWCB press release linked here, and the link to the grant application can be found on the right side of this page under "Recent Transformative Landscape-Related Change Water Plan Grants."

TLC Challenge

In 2024 and 2025, the CWCB is partnering with Resource Central for the second round of the Transformative Landscape Change (TLC) Challenge. The final application window closed on February 28, 2025. Project acceptance ends on March 21, 2025, and turf removal and project implementation will be completed by June 15, 2025. For more information on the program, you can contact Resource Central directly through the website at https://resourcecentral.org/.

Check back for more updates!