A two-hour yard evaluation is becoming a blueprint for water savings, wildfire protection, and healthier habitat.

Through Eagle County’s Beyond Lawn program, homeowners receive an on-site assessment that examines far more than thirsty turf. Evaluators walk the property with each participant, identify their goals, and develop tailored recommendations for water-wise landscaping, wildfire risk reduction, biodiversity, and improved functionality.

Ryan Vlaar of the Eagle County Conservation District says the process also includes a zone-by-zone inspection of the irrigation system. Each sprinkler or drip zone is evaluated for efficiency, allowing the final conservation report to identify where equipment changes, turf conversion, or different plantings can produce the greatest benefit.

That individualized approach matters because the same prescription will not work for every property. A homeowner may need less grass, more efficient irrigation, defensible space around a house, native plants, or a combination of improvements designed around the site and budget.

Beyond Lawn has helped replace roughly 60,000 to 70,000 square feet of turf, with estimated savings of about four acre-feet of water annually—approximately 1.3 million gallons.

Episode at https://youtu.be/f3vx3ktOIQI?si=xzHvV6k5EV4W99a_

This video is from Resilience In The Rockies, a series produced by waterloop in collaboration with WaterNow, supported by a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and sponsored by PCL Construction, Norris Design, Merrick, and the City of Greeley.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
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