Aesthetics / Neighborhood Beautification — Quantitative
Alliance for Water EfficiencyLocated in Nationwide
In a survey of homeowners who converted their turf to a water-wise landscape, 91% reported that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their new landscape. 85% thought the conversion was worth the investment.
Aesthetics / Neighborhood Beautification — Qualitative
City of GreeleyLocated in CO
“Waterwise gardens are beautiful as well as drought-tolerant. With their variety of colors, textures, and fragrances, they serve as an ongoing source of enjoyment and provide a delightful treat for the sense. Even during times of drought, waterwise landscapes retain much beauty while conventional, water-thirsty landscapes may suffer.”
Aesthetics / Neighborhood Beautification — Qualitative
City of Los Angeles, Metropolitan Water District, UCLA Luskin CenterLocated in CA
“Attitudes have been changing about lawn desirability. Generally, the more aesthetically pleasing the landscaping, which potentially requires costlier investment, the more likely it is to have a positive impact on the property value.”
Avoided Cost — Quantitative
Alliance for Water EfficiencyLocated in NV
In Las Vegas, turf takes more time to maintain (8.2 hours/month average) versus xeriscape (6 hours/month average). Turf costs more to maintain ($680 per year average) versus xeriscape ($474 per year average).
Avoided Cost — Qualitative
City of Los Angeles, Metropolitan Water District, UCLA Luskin CenterLocated in CA
If it is assumed that the cost of water will increase in the future, then the cost of purchasing water from a water supplier will likely be higher than the cost of saving water (through water wise landscaping practices and their maintenance)
Biodiversity — Qualitative
City of GreeleyLocated in CO
“Native plans have more resistance to pests and diseases. By using native and climate-adapted plants instead of exotics, you can decrease your pesticide use.”
Biodiversity — Quantitative
Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaLocated in CA
Turf replacement program reduced an estimated 579 acre feet per year of imported water from the Colorado River and Bay-Delta. This reduction improves flexibility for water management and contributes to the improved status of the river ecosystems. Turf removal primarily draws from rivers in the spring and summer, and these months are also when those rivers are most impacted by water withdrawals.
Biodiversity — Quantitative
South Carolina Wildlife FederationLocated in SC
According to the EPA, lawns and gardens in the US are sprayed with more than 90 million pounds of insecticides and herbicides a year. Native plants that are not conventional turf grass, provide wildlife habitat and allow homeowners to cut back on those chemical inputs, which in turn attracts more pollinators and other wildlife.
Cost Effectiveness — Quantitative
Fort Collins Utilities, City of Fort CollinsLocated in CO
Transforming Front Range HOAs would cost $0.09 per gallon saved, whereas new water supplies cost $0.10 per gallon.
Cost Effectiveness — Quantitative
City of Los Angeles, Metropolitan Water District, UCLA Luskin CenterLocated in CA
The rebate amount received by households for turf conversion and the amount of money households save over time due to avoided water usage are combined to offset the cost of lawn replacement. If the offsets are greater than the cost of lawn replacement, households will see financial benefits. The equation is:
[rebate amount + avoided costs (due to water savings)] – lawn replacement costs = financial benefits
Cost Effectiveness — Quantitative
EPALocated in Nationwide
Green stormwater infrastrucure in parks, such as permeable pavement, bioretention demonstration gardens, pollinator gardens, planter boxes, trees, and wetlands near waterways can sometimes lower the cost of maintenance in parks, especially since green stormwater infrastructure can be budgeted for across multiple departments (i.e., Parks, Stormwater utility, general funds) In the Historic Fourth Ward Park in Atlanta, Georgia, the city saved more than $15 million compared with installing conventional gray infrastructure drainage
Cost Effectiveness — Qualitative
We Conserve PALocated in Nationwide
“The average American spends 70 hours a year working on their lawn. By converting some of all of their lawn, a person can save time and money.”
Cost Effectiveness — Qualitative
Castle Rock and Academy Sports Turf, Inc.Located in CO
Castle Rock partnered with Academy Sports Turf, Inc to convert athletic fields at Paintbrush Park to synthetic in order to save water, reduce maintenance hours, and extend the ability of sports teams to use the fields in spring and fall.
Cost Effectiveness — Quantitative
City of GreeleyLocated in CO
“Well-designed, -installed, and -maintained waterwise landscapes can increase property values up to 15%.”
Improved Air Quality — Quantitative
Ecological Landscape AllianceLocated in Nationwide
“Typical lawn mower running for one hour = 100 miles in a car” This means that turf conversion can decrease the amount of emissions by taking away the need to use gas-powered mowers on a regular basis.
Improved Air Quality — Qualitative
Science DirectLocated in AZ
Xeric trees can cool the city with less water consumption than turf lawns, which is especially useful in areas that experience the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
Improved Air Quality — Quantitative
West Basin Municipal Water DistrictLocated in CA
Through the EPA greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, West Basin estimates that it will reduce 207 metric tons of carbon dioxide through its grass replacement program. This reduction will come as a result of conserving energy from transporting and treating potable water as well as the reduction in carbon emissions from not mowing turf grass on a weekly basis. The EPA estimates that one gas lawn mower emits 89 pounds of CO2 and 34 pounds of other pollutants per year.
Improved Air Quality — Quantitative
Circular Climate Solutions, Ltd.Located in Nationwide
“Americans use up to 800 million gallons of gasoline per year just to mow their lawns. At least 17 million of those gallons are attributed to spills while filling lawn equipment.” For remaining turf that needs to be mowed, electric (battery-operated) mowers can replace gas-powered ones
Improved Air Quality — Qualitative
Ecological Landscape AllianceLocated in Nationwide
“Organic land management sequesters carbon. Traditional turfgrass care limits the sequestration of carbon.”
Improved Water Quality — Quantitative
Penn State ExtensionLocated in PA
“Lawns or turfgrass is the largest crop grown in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, accounting for 9.5% of the land cover or 3.8 million acres. The best estimate for how much nitrogen fertilizer is applied to lawns in that area is nearly 215 million pounds per year… About 19 million pounds are active ingredients” which reach local streams and rivers and cause harm to aquatic life.
Improved Water Quality — Quantitative
Alliance for the Chesapeake BayLocated in PA
“A typical lawn can only infiltrate one inch of rainwater per hour (compared to a forest, which can infiltrate 16 inches.” This means that typical lawns, and any input that is used on the lawn like fertilizers and herbicides, is a source of stormwater runoff and can contaminate streams.
Increased Energy Efficiency — Quantitative
Landscaping PlanetLocated in Nationwide
Running a sprinkler system will use more energy than a drip system or intermittent watering of water-wise landscapes. On average, a sprinkler system uses .59 kWh/m3 per day.
Increased Energy Efficiency — Quantitative
Southern Nevada Water AuthorityLocated in NV
“Shading keeps areas 10 to 25 degrees cooler… There are dozens of water efficient trees and vines that can be used to shade south and west exposures from the relentless desert sun. A water smart landscape with very dense plantings uses less than half as much water as a lawn.”
Pollinator Habitat — Qualitative
BloombergLocated in MA
One-by-one meter plots of converted turf, where nothing is planted and the dormant seeds underneath are allowed to grow unimpeded, shows an uptick in insects. This rewilding attracts bees, ants, moths, spiders, and more.
Pollinator Habitat — Qualitative
San Antonio Water System (SAWS)Located in TX
Because of the WaterSaver coupons and rebates (which require a minimum of 200 sq. ft. conversion, at least 10 ft. wide not including walkways, and no impervious surfaces), SAWS customers create more wildlife habitat for pollinators like Monarch butterflies and other species by using water-wise native plants
Pollinator Habitat — Quantitative
Ecological Landscape AllianceLocated in Nationwide
“There are seventeen million acres of roadsides in the United States, often dominated by grasses, and these and other rights-of-way present a valuable opportunity to increase habitat and habitat connectivity for butterflies and other insects”
Soil Health — Qualitative
Circular Climate Solutions, Ltd.Located in CO
Kentucky Bluegrass have short root structures (about 3 inches deep) whereas other turfgrass varietals that are suited to the Colorado climate, such as Fescue, Buffalo Grass, Blue Gramma, and Carex have longer root systems (can reach over 3 feet deep) and are therefore more drought resistant and aid soil structure
Soil Health — Qualitative
Circular Climate Solutions, Ltd.Located in CO
“Carbon rich and healthy soils have an increased water holding capacity, helping to mitigate flood risk and aid in times of drought, while native vegetation have much deeper root structures than traditional turfgrass, reducing the chance of mudslides and soil erosion.”
Soil Health — Qualitative
Circular Climate Solutions, Ltd.Located in CO
“Microbes in the soil provide immune system function and communication networks for plants within a healthy functioning ecosystem. Conventional lawn care services spray harsh chemicals that kill off these essential microbes, causing the plants to rely on synthetic fertilizers and herbicides to stay alive.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Southern Nevada Water Authority; University of Nevada, Las VegasLocated in NV
Mean monthly water consumption for single family residences dropped an average of 30% following conversion from turf.
Water Savings — Quantitative
Alliance for Water EfficiencyLocated in NM
In Albuquerque, participants in the xeriscape rebate reduced water use by 33% from pre- to post-rebate period
Water Savings — Quantitative
Southern Nevada Water AuthorityLocated in NV
Estimates show that Water Smart Landscapes water-wise landscape program has saved nearly 430,000 acre feet of water since 1999, which is 100,000 acre feet more than the amount of Colorado River water that the State of Nevada has the right to use consumptively each year.
Water Savings — Quantitative
UCI Law; WaterNow AllianceLocated in CA
A 2014 study found that in California alone, landscape conversion could save an estimated 2.9 million acre feet per year
Water Savings — Quantitative
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Metropolitan Water DistrictLocated in CA
“Since the inception of the program in 2009, LADWP has rebated 50 million square feet of turf saving over 1.9 billion gallons of water, the equivalent of the annual water use for 12,000 single family homes. In all, 26,000 customers applied for turf rebates.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Alliance for Water EfficiencyLocated in FL
Irrigation savings increased to 76% when homes used Florida-Friendly Landscaping in comparison with high-quality turfgrass landscaping
Water Savings — Quantitative
Alliance for Water EfficiencyLocated in NV
Xeriscape conversion resulted in an average of 55.8 gallons per square feet of water savings
Water Savings — Quantitative
California Water BlogLocated in CA
“A recent report compiled data across multiple turf replacement programs and found average water savings of 11-76 gallons/square foot annually after replacing turf.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
City of SacramentoLocated in CA
Turf removal and replacement program produced an average participant savings of 29.6%
Water Savings — Quantitative
San Diego County Water AuthorityLocated in CA
The average participant in San Diego County Water Authority’s Sustainable Landscapes Program saved approximately 42,000 gallons annually. That’s enough water to meet the needs of a 4 person household in San Diego for nearly 100 days.
Water Savings — Quantitative
Water Use It WiselyLocated in AZ
“The average conversion to xeriscape can save 50% or more of your outdoor water use.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Water Use It WiselyLocated in AZ
“A bermuda or bermuda hybrid lawn requires more than 55 inches of water per year (with winter overseed) and over 40 inches of water per year (without winter overseed). The average Xeriscape requires less than 18 inches of water per year.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Circular Climate Solutions, Ltd.Located in CO
“Once established, native landscapes use on average 50% less water than traditional turf lawns”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Castle Rock WaterLocated in CO
7 to 29% water savings when replacing high-water turf with a low-water option, 496,000 square feet of turf has been replaced through rebate program over the past 10 years in Castle Rock
Water Savings — Quantitative
Castle Rock WaterLocated in CO
Castle Rock’s ColoradoScape Renovation programs have shown a 19% reduction in outdoor water use, removing approximately 217,980 square feet of turfgrass since 2015. The non-residential program has resulted in a 29% reduction in outdoor water use.
Water Savings — Quantitative
Utah WaterLocated in UT
Flip Your Strip – the conversion of lawn between sidewalk and curb can save an estimated 5,000-8,000 gallons of water each year
Water Savings — Quantitative
Moulton Niguel Water DistrictLocated in CA
Moulton Niguel Water District found that turf removal through their regional rebate program saves 44 gallons of water per square foot annually. Removed 5 million sq ft of turf, saving 1,534 acre-feet of water since 2012
Water Savings — Quantitative
Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaLocated in CA
The Turf Replacement Program provided rebates for the removal of about 4.35 million square feet of lawn in fiscal year 2020/21, resulting in an estimated annual water savings of about 520 acre-feet.
Water Savings — Quantitative
Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaLocated in CA
“For every 100 homes that converted their yards using a rebate, an additional 132 nearby homes were inspired to convert their own grass without receiving the rebate,” resulting in a ‘multiplier effect’ that “more than doubled the value of the investment by the water district.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
CSU ExtensionLocated in CO
CSU’s fact sheet on water consumption for residences shows that “outdoor water use accounts for about 55 percent of the residential water use in the Front Range urban area, most of which is used on turf.”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Eagle County Conservation DistrictLocated in CO
“Each square foot of irrigated turf requires 14 gallons of water per irrigation season. That’s 35,000 gallons for an average 2,500 square foot lawn.”
Water Savings — Qualitative
West Basin Municipal Water DistrictLocated in CA
“Due to climate change and current droughts, the water supplies in the Western United States are extremely low. By removing water-thirsty grass and better managing landscape water use,” turf removal and conversion projects invest in long-term water savings.
Water Savings — Quantitative
Resource CentralLocated in CO
“A single 100 square foot of xeric garden saves over 7,300 gallons of water over the lifetime of the garden compared to traditional Kentucky bluegrass”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Resource CentralLocated in CO
Replacing your turf with Xeriscape (low-water landscaping) can reduce your outdoor water use by up to 60%
Water Savings — Quantitative
Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaLocated in CA
Regional turf removal program provided water savings of approximately 44 to 49 gallons per day per square foot
Water Savings — Quantitative
City of Los Angeles, Metropolitan Water District, UCLA Luskin CenterLocated in CA
Between 2009 and 2015, Los Angeles residents replaced 1,600 sq. ft. of turf on average and “are now saving approximately 66,000 gallons of water per year”
Water Savings — Quantitative
Aurora WaterLocated in CO
Warm-season turf options use 2/3 less water than cold-season turf options
Water Savings — Qualitative
Science DirectLocated in CA
Gains in outdoor water conservation achieved during periods of drought (via higher water rates or water limitation schedules) are often reversed with turf lawns when the restrictions are lowered, whereas technological innovations, new fixtures, and converted landscapes promote more long-term savings.
Water Savings — Quantitative
City of Fort Collins, Fort Collins UtilitiesLocated in CO
Converted a total of 200,000 sq. ft. of turf between 2016 and 2019, saving an estimated 2.8 million gallons each year
Water Savings — Quantitative
West Basin Municipal Water District, WaterSMARTLocated in CA
The amount of estimated water savings is a total of 40 acre feet (equivalent to 13,200,000 gallons) saved per year, or 1,215 acre feet over the 30 year useful life of the 300,000 sq. ft of sustainable landscape converted from nonfunctional turf
Wildfire Mitigation — Qualitative
CSU ExtensionLocated in CO
By creating a ‘defensible space’ around your home, you can decrease the risk that your house is wildfire fuel. That defensible space is more effective when it is managed by how, where, and what you plant. “In some cases, there is a strong correlation between drought tolerance and fire resistance.”
