Earth Protect Blog

Your front lawn can stay, but many property owners will have to change practices

By Elise Schmelzer

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Swaths of Kentucky bluegrass will become a less common sight across Colorado after lawmakers passed a bill to ban new nonfunctional turf in hopes of conserving water.

The bill, signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis, prohibits the installation of ornamental grass, invasive plants and artificial turf on most commercial, industrial and state government property. The ban includes medians, parking lots and along roads.

The law does not apply to residential properties, except for land managed by homeowners’ associations.

Bill sponsors’ goal was to reduce water use as Colorado’s supplies shrink due to climate change-fueled drought and warming. Nearly half of water used in cities and towns goes to water lawns, many of which are planted with nonnative grass, experts have said.

“Water-wise landscaping conserves our precious water resources and encourages communities to embrace Colorado’s natural landscapes,” sponsor Rep. Karen McCormick, a Longmont Democrat, said in a news release. “Our law sets us on a path forward to more effectively manage and preserve the water we all rely on.”

The new restrictions go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, except for the ban on state government property, which starts a year earlier in 2025.

The law is part of an ongoing effort by lawmakers to reduce the amount of water used on ornamental lawns. The legislature in 2022 passed a law that gave money to local governments and nonprofits to replace nonnative ornamental grass with water-efficient landscaping. Local governments, too, have passed ordinances to limit thirsty nonnative turf.

Besides residences, the law exempts parks, sports fields and playgrounds from the ban, as that grass serves a recreational purpose.

The bipartisan sponsors of Senate Bill 5 wrote that most of the turf in Colorado is nonfunctional and exists for aesthetics alone. They hope people will plant native grasses and plants that use less water.

“We’re stepping up to conserve water while embracing the native plants and species that thrive in Colorado,” Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat, said in a news release.

Although artificial turf doesn’t require water, it can contain harmful chemicals that run off into the water supply. Fake grass can also contribute to the heat island effect, in which urban areas are warmer because heat is reflected by infrastructure instead of absorbed by vegetation.