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Waterwise Landscapes

Waterwise landscapes emphasize using plants with lower supplemental water needs and grouping plants by water need to encourage efficient water use. Greeley’s planting resources and Life After Lawn program support residents and businesses in growing landscapes that save water and look beautiful.

Plants for Greeley
Conservation Education
A colorful array of wildflowers in a xeric garden with a mountain-inspired art installation in the background.
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Save Water

The increased population in Colorado places a strain on water resources. Colorado’s weather provides only 8–15 inches of precipitation per year in Greeley. Waterwise landscaping can reduce water consumption by 60%.

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Reduce Pesticides

Native plants have more resistance to pests and diseases. By using native and climate-adapted plants instead of exotics, you can decrease your pesticide use.

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Increase Beauty and Resilience

Waterwise gardens are beautiful as well as drought tolerant. Their variety of colors, textures, and fragrances provide a delightful treat for the senses. Waterwise landscapes retain much beauty even during a drought, while conventional landscapes may suffer. Well planned and maintained waterwise landscapes can increase property values by up to 15%.

Practical Solutions for Landscape and Climate Concerns

Every year different plant and animal habitats and species disappear. Using waterwise principles and carefully selecting what we plant, we can encourage birds, bees, butterflies, and wildlife to return to our yards. A natural landscape has less impact on the environment. Waterwise landscapes reduce water diversions from mountain habitats and maintain water levels in aquifers.

Waterwise landscaping provides practical solutions to various climate and landscape concerns. Homeowners can incorporate features to cool their home in the summer or warm it in the winter. Structures and plantings can help block wind, provide shelter from rain and snow, and control water runoff.

Seven Steps of Waterwise Landscaping

  1. Planning and Design: Before you ever pick up a shovel, pick up a pencil first. How will you use the yard? Do you have children, dogs, cats, a vegetable garden, compost bin, a clothesline? Will you be entertaining or playing outdoor games? Do you love the view of the mountains but not the view of your neighbor’s hot tub? Do you have drainage problems? The first step is to sketch out your yard. Do several studies on where you might put play areas, gardens, beds, or service areas. Indicate places you want to screen or enhance. At this point, you can either go to a landscape designer or continue on your own. Make sure to get your utilities marked call or go to 811.
  2. Soil Amendment: Soils can vary from one part of the yard to the next, but no matter your soil type, the addition of organic matter (compost) will greatly improve your chances for success. Our soils in this area tend to be shallow with a layer of hard clay, sometimes just inches below the surface. The proper amount of organic matter to add is approximately four cubic yards per 1,000 square feet or a layer of 2-4 inches. Till it in as deeply as you can, to around 8-12 inches. If done properly, you shouldn't have to till again which disturbs the natural cycle of the soil. Organic matter in the soil is important for several reasons, including retention of water. Compost, which is high in organic matter, is easily added to the soil and is an excellent storage system for moisture. Lack of initial soil preparation is a major reason for subsequent lawn and landscape failure.
  3. Reduced Turf: Evaluate your yard for its various micro-climates. Bluegrass likes full sun, but a rocky south-facing slope will be too dry to promote a healthy lawn. Eliminate turf in long narrow strips and on slopes. These typically hard-to-water areas promote over-spraying and runoff and would be better planted with low-water-use shrubs, flowers, or ground covers.
  4. Efficient Irrigation: We tend to water more than we need. Drip irrigation and bubblers are efficient ways to water plants at the ground level to reduce evaporation. These systems supply a drip for a longer period than typical sprinkler heads. While they have been used to water turf, their most frequent application is on trees, shrubs, flower borders, and in vegetable gardens. If you have a clock-controlled irrigation system, don’t just program it at the beginning of the season and forget it. The landscape is going to need less supplemental water in May than in July. Reprogram it at least monthly. Check your heads frequently to ensure that they’re spraying the landscape as you intend and not the street or other hard surfaces.
  5. Appropriate Plant Selection: The best part of planning your waterwise landscape is the selection of plants. Do some research, look at books, and go to some low-water demonstration gardens. While you’ll get the greatest water savings by sticking to low-water use plants, you can incorporate others as well. Just make sure they’re grouped together and watered separately. With efficient planning and irrigation, roses and vegetable gardens can be included in your low-water yard.
  6. Use of Mulches: Mulches minimize evaporation, retard weed growth, slow erosion, and help prevent soil and temperature fluctuations. Organic mulches include wood chips or shredded cedar or redwood. Inorganic mulches, such as rock, breeze, or gravel can also be used, but excessive rock can retain heat around your plants and around the house. Use the right mulch for the right plants. The use of landscape fabric, is no longer recommended for use in planting beds, but could still be used under paths without plants.
  7. Appropriate Maintenance: Proper pruning, weeding, fertilization, and attention to your irrigation system will preserve and enhance the quality of your landscape. A waterwise landscape adapted to the environment will require less maintenance and fertilizer and will reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals. The principles of waterwise landscaping will ensure an attractive, healthy landscape with the use of just the right amount of water.

Connect with us

Contact Us

Tel: 970-350-9811
conserve@greeleygov.com

Greeley Water and Sewer
Water Conservation

1001 11th Avenue
2nd Floor
Greeley, CO 80631

Office Hours

Monday – Friday
8:00am – 5:00pm

Greeley’s Life After Lawn Program

Residential and commercial water customers can receive a rebate for replacing healthy, well-watered turf grass with an eligible, low-water landscape. Projects must be approved prior to installation and completed by October 31st of each year.

How to Participate

  1. Attend a class or watch the class recording about the program. Participants must do one or the other. For more classes to help you with your project, check out the Conservation Education page for Landscape Lectures and to view videos from past classes.
  2. Register. You must register for Greeley’s WaterSmart Portal which keeps you informed on your water use, allows you to set up leak alerts, view bills, and more.
  3. Take Photos. Take at least two “before” photos where you plan to remove healthy, well-watered turf and install native and/or water wise plantings. Photos are best, but Google street views are acceptable.
  4. Apply online by July 1st See below under Participant & Application Information. Attach the photos you took of the project location, also include a design of what your future landscape will look like. Utilize the resources for design examples (links to downloadable designs are below in the FAQs). If you need assistance, request a site visit.
  5. Get approved. The Water Conservation team will review your application and give you the thumbs-up to proceed with your project. If you forgot something, we’ll let you know.
  6. Start your project. You must contact 811 for utility line locates before beginning your project. This is a FREE service but give them a week to mark the utilities. Start your project. You must save all your receipts/invoices and track your time and money spent.
  7. Schedule your final inspection. The final project should be done by October 31st.
  8. Submit your paperwork or documents by November 15th. Once you’ve completed your landscape project, the following is required:
    1. Completed Life After Lawn rebate form
    2. Attached receipts/invoices
    3. Two or more photos of your final project
  9. Receive your rebate. You’ll receive your rebate check in 6-8 weeks after all documents have been submitted and your project has been verified.

 

Note: all landscape conversion must have the total area of 50% live plantings at maturity to comply with all City of Greeley Landscape Codes. For example, a 2,000 square foot project would need 1,000 square feet of plant coverage. This can include existing and new trees, shrubs, perennials, ground covers, ornamental grasses. It can also include utilizing native turf grass or leaving some existing turf grass or a combination. For assistance with these calculations, you can use the canopy coverage on the water conservation plant database: PlantsforGreeley.com. Some additions to the landscape such as Rights-of-Way plantings, fences, structures, etc. may require additional approval and/or permits from Community Development and submitted through the Etrakit system.

Program Eligibility

City of Greeley residents (homeowners and landlords) can receive $1.00/square foot to convert a minimum of 500 square feet of healthy, well-watered turf with native and/or waterwise plantings. A maximum of $3,000 per household per year is eligible. You must plan to own the residence for 5 or more years.

Lawns being converted must be in the front or side yards that are visible to the public. Backyards may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Check with your HOA to find out what approval they may require. Although they cannot prohibit water wise plantings or native landscapes, you may be subject to HOA approval.

Homeowner Application - https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e12ec507125f43bba985ceb3d24e2155?portalUrl=https://gis.greeleygov.com/portal

Register with eTRAKit to apply for a new permit for your landscaping to qualify for Life After Lawn. You will need to submit a detailed design plan, before pictures, and a detailed explanation of your landscape plan. Once registered with eTRAKiT, click Apply/New Permit. Please call 970-666-1914 if you have any questions. Thank you!

Life After Lawn FAQs

  • Gazebos, concrete, patios or walkways that are impermeable will not be included in the rebated part of the square footage.
  • Artificial turf grass will not be rebated and is not allowed in front yards per city code. See more below.
  • Non-biodegradable landscape fabric will not be allowed in planting areas with mulch. Fabric/weed barrier will only be allowed under pathways/walkways, although it is discouraged there too.

Hardscaped areas (i.e., patios & walkways) can be included in the design and rebated if they remain permeable and are composed of brick, pavers, flagstone, loose gravel, gravel fines, or squeegee. The areas must remain permeable to allow precipitation to percolate into the ground which helps clean the contaminants out of the water before running back to the river. It also allows you to utilize onsite water to supplement your plants.

Yes, you will find if you retrofit your irrigation system to match your new landscape, you will be able to water more efficiently and deliver water to match the needs of the new landscape. While adding planting beds may be watered more efficiently, with drip irrigation, changing the irrigation in a turf to native grass conversion may require new sprinkler nozzles, changes in arc, height of the heads or moving them.

Visit our Water Use Assessment page for more information.

Why garden with native plants? Because Colorado natives have thrived here for thousands of years. They are perfectly adapted to deal with Colorado’s:

  • Climate
  • Soil types
  • Pests and diseases
  • Water, or lack of water

This means your garden will have reduced needs for maintenance, fertilizer, watering, and pesticide use. And perhaps even more importantly, your garden will be attracting the native birds and butterflies everyone loves to watch, and it will also be supporting the larger natural ecosystem you live in. Isn’t it wonderful that every gardener can make a beneficial contribution by choosing native plants when there are so many challenges to our environment today? And one more thing – native plants are beautiful!

Yes. Planting to support pollinators (i.e., birds, butterflies, bats, moths, etc.) and obtaining third party certifications are encouraged. Check out some supporting landscape certifications.

Existing landscape can count toward your 50% live plantings.

No, you can retain some of the existing lawn and may find that a smaller section of lawn actually appears healthier due to being small enough to manage and water effectively. However, it is good to know ahead of time, that these bluegrass lawn areas, whether retained or replanted, do not count toward the area being rebated.

Artificial turf is will not be eligible for the rebate. Landscape code still require 50% live plantings and artificial turf will not count toward that 50%. Artificial turf has many environmental and economic factors associated with it, so it is not recommended except for special circumstances. Contributing to heat island effects, inhibiting stormwater filtering and infiltration, short life span, and microplastic contamination are just a few of the concerns, read more on Western Resource Advocates’ website.

Warm season grasses that are native to Colorado and the shortgrass prairie are great options, because they are native and have adapted to Colorado’s climate and soils and therefore can survive drought and minimal supplemental water. These require full sun to thrive. Because installing and maintaining native grasses in your landscape require a different aesthetic as well as planting and maintaining, several Front Range water providers and grass experts have put together a Colorado Native Grass Guidebook and webpage to help you prepare for your project.

Other hybrid grasses that are touted xeric grass options are Dog Tuff™, a Plant Select choice. This is Bermuda grass available locally as plugs with a list of vendors on the Plant Select site

A newcomer on the scene is Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass hybrid which is available in sod and is touted to use 50-75% less water. This grass can tolerate a little more shade than Dog Tuff, but will not do well in a deep shade site.

Both of these hybrid Bermuda grasses are cold hardy, salt tolerant warm season (look best during the heat of the summer), pet tolerant for traffic and urine, full sun grasses. They will not perform well in shaded areas.

There are some cool season native grasses that may perform well in shady areas but keep in mind that you probably won’t see the savings of the warm season natives. Please consult with one of the two seed companies here in Greeley. Both companies have very knowledgeable staff.

Yes, the use of rain gardens to utilize onsite water from precipitation is encouraged. Treating your landscape as a sponge to absorb rainwater, helps you use free water and filter the rainwater from contaminants before it returns to the stream.

Find Plants for Greeley Landscaping

Use the Plant Finder resource to locate the perfect plant for Greeley’s front range climate.

Learn More
A vibrant display of colorful drought-resistant xeriscape plants, ideal for sustainable landscaping.