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Drought Brings Extensive Restrictions for Natural Grass
DROUGHT BRINGS EXTENSIVE RESTRICTIONS
FOR NATURAL GRASS
By Suz Trusty
It’s not easy being green. As drought continues across broad regions of the U.S. (and the world) and heat reaches unprecedented levels for ever-longer intervals, green becomes a red flag to legislative bodies. Their intent is good—seeking to preserve adequate water supplies for basic human needs. Their methods, however, are often misguided, based on their perception of natural grass solely as a water user without consideration of the mitigating environmental and societal benefits it provides. Thus, natural grass is under attack—again.
One-third of Southern Californians face new restrictions limiting outdoor watering to one day a week under an unprecedented action taken by the Metropolitan Water District (Metro) on April 26, 2022, to dramatically reduce water use in communities most affected by the state’s historic drought. The restrictions apply to dozens of cities and communities in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties—home to about six million Southern Californians. The new restrictions were implemented on June 1, 2022. These communities depend on water from Northern California, via the State Water Project (SWP). Metro declared a drought emergency for the SWP-dependent areas in November 2021. Since then, California endured the driest January, February, and March in recorded history. Metro has cautioned that if enough water isn’t conserved in the coming months, or if supply conditions worsen, all outdoor watering could be banned in these communities as early as September.
California Bans Watering 'NonFunctional' Grass in Some Areas
And there’s more. On May 24, 2022, California water regulators adopted emergency drought rules following an executive order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom. Those rules increase conservation requirements for water suppliers throughout the state and prohibit the watering of grass that is purely decorative at businesses and in common areas of subdivisions and homeowners associations. The emergency regulations are to remain in effect for a year and may be extended by the state water board. The regulations outlaw the use of drinking water for irrigating “non-functional” grass at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. The ban doesn’t apply to yards at individual homes. There are also exemptions for sports fields, grassy areas where people gather, and for watering to keep trees healthy. While the water board considers any part of a golf course used for the game of golf, such as greens and fairways, as functional, they have directed the water agencies and golf courses to evaluate whether other turf on a golf course property is functional or not. At all sites, areas that are irrigated with recycled wastewater aren’t subject to the grass-watering ban. Before adopting the regulations, the state water board made several revisions to accommodate certain special cases. On the bright side, one of those revisions allows water agencies to approve a request for watering “nonfunctional” grass if the property owner can certify that it’s a type of low-water-use turf that requires a fraction of the water consumed by standard types of grass. Yet, cities and water districts in Southern California still are offering customers rebates to help cover the costs of converting lawns to drought-tolerant landscaping.
Colorado Approves $2 Million in Cash for Grass Program
The bill creates a turf replacement program in the Department of Natural Resources to assist with the replacement of nonessential irrigated turf on residential, commercial, institutional, or industrial properties. The legislation transfers $2 million from the General Fund to a newly created cash fund to implement the program. For more information, go to the link that follows. https://leg. colorado.gov/bills/hb22-1151.
In addition, TPI Executive Director Dr. Casey Reynolds reports that natural grass reduction and/or replacement programs are under consideration by legislative bodies in other areas. The Austin, Texas, grass reduction bill is still under consideration through 2023 (https://www.speakupaustin.org/waterforward-2024). A similar program is under consideration in Idaho. Broader legislation is under consideration by the North Carolina legislature addressing state funds and native plants. This bill bans state fund use for planting non-native plants, but in its current form, exempts non-native grasses (https://www. ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2021/S0628). While the turfgrass industry has faced similar challenges previously, the anti-natural grass actions are intensifying— and erupting on multiple fronts. It’s time to unite to ensure the solid, science-based facts are made known not only to legislators, but also to the public.
