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Central Utah Water

Landscape Leadership Grant


Introduction

Picture of a nice landscape in front of a large window

As Utah's population continues to grow, the state's limited water supply gets stretched thinner, and the need to reduce our outdoor water use becomes more and more critical. Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) encourages businesses, institutions, and other organizations to become community leaders in water conservation by decreasing lawn sizes in existing landscapes and by preventing non-functional lawn spaces in new landscapes.

The Landscape Leadership Grant program is available for qualifying landscape conversion projects and certain new construction projects on eligible properties within the CUWCD service area.


Eligibility

  1. Applicant must be the project property owner or property owner's agent
  2. Applicant must be one of the following:
    • Commercial Business
    • Builder/Developer
    • Institution
    • Homeowner Association
    • Government Organization
  3. Individual residential lots are not eligible for this grant but may qualify for a landscape rebate at UtahWaterSavers.com.
  4. Property must be located in one of the following eligible areas within the CUWCD service area:
    • Duchesne County
      • Entire County
    • Juab County
      • Entire portion of the county that is within the CUWCD service area
    • Salt Lake County*
      • Cottonwood Heights
      • Millcreek
      • Salt Lake City
      • Sandy
    • Sanpete County
      • Entire County
    • Uintah County
      • Entire County
    • Utah County
      • Alpine
      • Cedar Hills
      • Lehi
      • Lindon
      • Vineyard
    • Summit County
      • Francis
      • Woodland
    • Wasatch County
      • Heber City

Cities within the CUWCD service area that are not listed above have not yet adopted the required water-efficiency standards and ordinances. This program will be made available for properties within those cities once the standards and ordinances have been adopted. Contact your city to express interest in participating in this program.


*Projects within Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District's (JVWCD) service area are not eligible for this program but are eligible for a similar program offered by JVWCD. Visit JVWCD.org for a list of cities covered by JVWCD.


Map of CUWCD Boundaries including Salt Lake, Utah, Juab, Wasatch, Sanpete, Duchesne and Uintah Counties
CUWCD Service Area

Funding

Picture of a roundabout that was converted from lawn to water-efficient landscaping

Grant funds are based on a monetary amount per square foot of area converted or lawn prevented.

Funding amount cannot exceed 50% of the project cost.

Maximum amount allowed per property is $100,000.

All grant applicants are required to submit a completed W-9 Form prior to receiving a grant.

Funding amount is subject to change. The most current information will be posted on our website.

  1. EXISTING LAWN SPACES CONVERTED TO WATER-EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING OR FUNCTIONAL HARDSCAPE (See rule 6 of the Rules section)
    • STANDARD LEVEL REQUIREMENTS = $2.00/sq ft (Typically for projects that are converting a portion of the landscape rather than the entire landscape)
      1. At maturity, areas converted from lawn to water-efficient landscaping shall have enough plant material (perennials and shrubs) to create at least 35% living plant cover at the ground plane, not including tree canopies, or the city's minimum requirement, whichever is greater.
      2. Drip irrigation shall be used for all plant material except lawns to achieve the highest water efficiency.
      3. Drip irrigation systems shall be equipped with a pressure regulator, filter, flush-end assembly, and any other appropriate components.
      4. Each irrigation valve shall irrigate landscaping with similar site, slope, and soil conditions and plant materials with similar watering needs. Lawn and planting beds shall be irrigated on separate irrigation valves. Drip emitters and sprinklers shall be placed on separate irrigation valves.
      5. At least 3-4 inches of mulch (such as bark, rock, or gravel), permeable to air and water, shall be used in planting beds to control weeds and improve the appearance of the landscaping.
      6. Project cannot create any lawn areas that are less than eight (8) feet wide at their narrowest point.
    • PREMIUM LEVEL REQUIREMENTS = $3.00/sq ft (Typically for projects that are converting the entire landscape)
      1. At maturity, areas converted from lawn to water-efficient landscaping shall have enough plant material (perennials and shrubs) to create at least 50% living plant cover at the ground plane, not including tree canopies.
      2. Drip irrigation shall be used for all plant material except lawns to achieve the highest water efficiency.
      3. Drip irrigation systems shall be equipped with a pressure regulator, filter, flush-end assembly, and any other appropriate components.
      4. Each irrigation valve shall irrigate landscaping with similar site, slope, and soil conditions and plant materials with similar watering needs. Lawn and planting beds shall be irrigated on separate irrigation valves. Drip emitters and sprinklers shall be placed on separate irrigation valves.
      5. At least 3-4 inches of mulch (such as bark, rock, or gravel), permeable to air and water, shall be used in planting beds to control weeds and improve the appearance of the landscaping.
      6. Lawn shall not exceed 15% of the total landscape area* of the entire property, outside of active recreation areas.
      7. Lawn areas shall not be less than eight (8) feet wide at their narrowest point anywhere on the property.
      8. Lawn shall not be present in park strips, paths, or on slopes greater than 25% or 4:1 grade anywhere on the property.
      9. Landscaped areas shall be provided with a WaterSense labeled smart irrigation controller, which automatically adjusts the frequency and/or duration of irrigation events in response to changing weather conditions. All controllers shall be equipped with automatic rain delay or rain shut-off capabilities. A separate rebate, called the Commercial Smart Controller Rebate, can be applied for in addition to the Landscape Leadership Grant. Click here for more information.
  2. EXISTING PLANTING BEDS CONVERTED FROM OVERHEAD SPRAY TO DRIP = $0.50/sq ft
    1. Drip irrigation systems shall be equipped with a pressure regulator, filter, flush-end assembly, and any other appropriate components.
    2. Each irrigation valve shall irrigate landscaping with similar site, slope, and soil conditions and plant materials with similar watering needs. Lawn and planting beds shall be irrigated on separate irrigation valves. Drip emitters and sprinklers shall be placed on separate irrigation valves.
    3. At least 3-4 inches of mulch (such as bark, rock, or gravel), permeable to air and water, shall be used in planting beds to control weeds and improve the appearance of the landscaping.
  3. NEW CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPE PROJECTS = $0.50/sq ft
    1. At maturity, landscapes shall have enough plant material (perennials and shrubs) to create at least 50% living plant cover at the ground plane, not including tree canopies.
    2. Drip irrigation shall be used for all plant material except lawns to achieve the highest water efficiency.
    3. Drip irrigation systems shall be equipped with a pressure regulator, filter, flush-end assembly, and any other appropriate components.
    4. Each irrigation valve shall irrigate landscaping with similar site, slope, and soil conditions and plant materials with similar watering needs. Lawn and planting beds shall be irrigated on separate irrigation valves. Drip emitters and sprinklers shall be placed on separate irrigation valves.
    5. At least 3-4 inches of mulch (such as bark, rock, or gravel), permeable to air and water, shall be used in planting beds to control weeds and improve the appearance of the landscaping.
    6. Lawn shall not exceed 15% of the total landscape area*, outside of active recreation areas.
    7. Lawn areas shall not be less than eight (8) feet wide at their narrowest point.
    8. Lawn shall not be installed in park strips, paths, or on slopes greater than 25% or 4:1 grade.
    9. Landscaped areas shall be provided with a WaterSense labeled smart irrigation controller, which automatically adjusts the frequency and/or duration of irrigation events in response to changing weather conditions. All controllers shall be equipped with automatic rain delay or rain shut-off capabilities. A separate rebate, called the Commercial Smart Controller Rebate, can be applied for in addition to the Landscape Leadership Grant. Click here for more information.

*Total Landscape Area = Improved areas of the property that incorporate all the completed features of the landscape. The landscape area does not include footprints of buildings or structures, roads, sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, and other non-irrigated areas intentionally left undeveloped.

Rules

Picture of purple asters in bloom in a water-efficient landscape
  1. A project that has already been completed and does not have a signed Landscape Leadership Grant agreement in place is not eligible for this program.
  2. Lawn must not be removed from an existing landscape prior to an initial consultation with a CUWCD staff member. Grant funding for landscape conversion projects is based on the square footage of living lawn that is present in the landscape at the consultation and that will be replaced with water-efficient landscaping or functional hardscape (See rule 6). Any areas where lawn has been removed prior to the initial consultation will not be eligible for a grant.
  3. Existing planting beds watered with overhead spray that are converted to drip irrigation can qualify for the grant. Sprinkler heads in these planting beds must not be removed or capped until after an initial consultation with a CUWCD staff member. Functioning sprinkler heads must be visible at the initial consultation for those areas to be eligible for a grant.
  4. Projects have one year from the agreement date to be completed; applications will be canceled if project is not completed within the year unless a time extension has been given by CUWCD in writing.
  5. Any portion of the installed project that does not meet the requirements at the final inspection can be corrected within 60 days from the inspection without penalty.
  6. Functional hardscapes that replace lawn in existing landscapes may qualify for a grant, as determined by CUWCD staff. This could include sitting areas, paths, sport courts, play areas, pavilions, etc. Added parking, sidewalks, or roadways do not qualify for a grant.
  7. Replacement of traditional lawns with native or drought-tolerant lawns, while encouraged, does not qualify for a grant.
  8. Areas covered in mulch, rock, or gravel with no plants at ground plane, even if there is tree coverage, do not qualify for a grant.
  9. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that the project complies with city and/or HOA ordinances and requirements.
  10. Replacement of existing drip, mulch/rock/gravel, or plants does not qualify for a grant.
  11. Special care should be given to existing trees in areas where lawn and overhead spray will be removed. Adequate irrigation should be provided across the entire root zone of the trees.
  12. Weed barrier fabric is allowed but is not recommended. The negative effects of weed barrier fabric are outlined here.

Grant rules are subject to change. The most current information will be posted on our website.


Grant Process

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Picture of the courtyard of a townhome community with water-efficient landscaping

Do not remove any lawn from existing landscapes until after the initial consultation with a CUWCD staff member. Grant funding for landscape conversion projects is based on the square footage of living lawn that is present in the landscape at the consultation and that will be replaced with water-efficient landscaping or functional hardscape. Any areas of an existing landscape where lawn has been removed prior to the initial consultation will not be eligible for a grant.

Do not remove or cap sprinklers in existing planting beds that are being converted to drip until after the initial consultation with a CUWCD staff member. Functioning sprinkler heads must be visible at the initial consultation.

  1. Contact CUWCD at Casey@cuwcd.gov or (801) 226-7145 to set up an initial consultation.
  2. Discuss the grant program and present your project ideas at the consultation; receive an application code that will allow you to unlock the application form on this page.
  3. Obtain or create a to-scale landscape plan for your project, if not done already.
  4. Submit your application form and landscape plan using the application code you received.
  5. Allow 2-4 weeks for the application to be reviewed and to receive feedback.
  6. Make changes to the plan based on feedback, if necessary.
  7. Sign the provided agreement.
  8. Complete the project within a year from the agreement date.
  9. Contact CUWCD once the project has been completed.
  10. Submit construction invoices and a completed W-9 Form to CUWCD.
  11. Meet with CUWCD staff on site for project inspection and measurements.
    • Correct any portion of the project that doesn't meet the requirements at the inspection (within 60 days).
    • Contact CUWCD once the corrections have been made.
    • Meet with CUWCD on site to review corrections.
  12. Receive a grant check 2-4 weeks after the completed project passes inspection.

Application

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  • Interest Form