DENVER (KDVR) — A new bill was introduced during the Colorado regular legislative session concerning measures to incentivize water-wise landscapes and create a state program to finance the voluntary replacement of irrigated turf.
If passed, the bill would require the Colorado water conservation board to develop a statewide program to provide financial incentives for the voluntary replacement of irrigated turf with water-wise landscaping.
The bill defines water-wise landscaping as a water and plant-management practice that emphasizes using plants with lower water needs.
HB22-1151, known as the turf replacement program bill, was introduced on Feb. 4. It is sponsored by Republican Representative Mark Catlin and Democratic Representative Dylan Roberts, as well as Democratic Senator Jeff Bridges and Republican Senator Cleave Simpson.
As stated in the introduced bill, the turf replacement program would do the following:
- Increase the communities’ resilience regarding drought and climate change
- Reduce the sale of agricultural water rights in response to increase demand for municipal water use
- Protect river flows
According to the bill, local governments, certain districts, Native American tribes, and nonprofit organizations with their own turf replacement programs may apply to the board for money to help finance their turf replacement programs.
The board will contract with one or more third parties to administer one or more turf replacement programs in areas where local turf replacement programs do not exist, according to the bill’s summary.