In Jordan Valleys program, participation in the Flip Your Strip program is up 160% this year. The program, authorized by the Utah State Legislature earlier this year, is expected to launch in the spring. In response to the drought, Oakley put a moratorium on any new development and Herriman pressed pause on its landscaping requirements on new development until Sept. 15. Utah governor outlines four ways to conserve water in drought, Localscapes can help your lawn be water-wise, Bill package to eliminate food tax to be considered, Medicaid recipients must now re-qualify for coverage, What to watch for as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Bidens student loan debt relief plan, Looking for a New Winter Activity? The programs are available to all eight counties within the districts coverage area and being funded at a half million dollars. Lawn areas shall not be less than eight feet wide at its narrowest point. The four measures he hopes legislators take up during the next session include: Statewide installation of secondary water meters All rights reserved. Donate to the newsroom now. But the grass seed is designed to grow quickly in the . If we can cut back on that, weve already had substantial savings. As water managers warn of worst on record drought, what do people think should be done to save water? In addition to urging Utahns to continue to conserve water, Gov. The governor announced four focus areas the state will fast-track to further advance water conservation and water planning: Lt. Gov. Rebate amount varies by location. In Sandy, the community has saved more than 234 million gallons of water the equivalent of 359 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Cox also said there are fewer wildfires burning in Utah in recent weeks, despite the increased danger from dry conditions. "Instead of having a lot of grass, maybe only have 10% of your lawn be grass? ST. GEORGE, Utah Mayor Michele Randall's backyard is turning brown and she's OK with it. 1/10/2022. The requirement that general plans of cities and counties integrate land use planning with water as a consideration. The Washington County Water Conservancy District offers tips for how to convert to desert-friendly landscaping. 1/12/2022. The program will follow Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy, and Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, which all offer similar programs in their territories. 350 North State, Suite 320 PO Box 145115 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114; Telephone: (801) 538-1408 https://senate.utah.gov; Contact a Senator Spencer Cox announced the expansion of a statewide turf buyback program as one of four efforts to conserve water amid the megadrought. We have to work with the resources on the ground, he said, but noted the paradox of having drought drive home the need for more water storage with the reality of less water available for storage. (Remember, killing or removing your lawn before this visit will make your park strip ineligible for a rebate). Max Peck of West Jordan runs through the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District garden in West Jordan on Thursday, July 29, 2021. Some lawmakers had concerns, but most were happy to move the bill forward and make changes later. Governor Deidre Henderson, South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey, Central Utah Water conservation manager Rick Maloy and Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District general manager Bart Forsyth. For North Ogden resident Chelsea Baker, her family is taking the restrictions in stride. State officials say don't start killing your lawn quite yet, though they encourage you to just do the bare minimum of recommended watering. I want to flush my toilet, so Im willing to do my part. Try these game day snacks to make watching football at home with your family feel like a special occasion. Will Mitt Romney seek re-election in 2024? The city's famed golf courses have made changes with an eye toward water savings. "When a lot of these. During the 2022 legislative session, the Division of Water Resources received $5 million to implement a statewide grass replacement rebate program. Mayor Randall said other policies being looked at include ordinances that required a certain percentage of landscaping be turf or prohibiting certain water-hogging trees in developments. The federal government stopped states from removing people from Medicaid during the pandemic, but that's changing now. "No, we dont," he chuckled. This year, Utah's legislature passed bills that mandated water metering for landscaping, created a statewide turf buyback program, and set limits on turf at new state-owned buildings. This assessment has been folded into the, Many residential connections use secondary water for outside irrigation. Turf buyback . You will be asked to provide photos of your project site and an estimated conversion area in square feet. About 70% of Utahs municipal water use is outside the home, mostly for thirsty turfgrass. Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday. "Grass is not the enemy. Here are some of the best resources to make your workplace work better for Deaf and hard-of-hearing employees. Bubblers, micro-spray emitters and soaker hoses are not allowed. While the winter overflow system in Salt Lake County has been expanded this winter, the availability of beds has been a consistent issue. Tasked the division with making state agency conservation data . New study says worst in 1,200 years. Will horrific drought make lawns in the West a memory? The Washington County Water Conservancy District told FOX 13 it is considering a "turf buyback" program to incentivize people to move toward drought-friendly landscaping. Personal Data: various types of Data as specified in the privacy policy of the service. ", Kari said she would have liked to have gotten some money to "help with offsetting material and that type of stuff.". While noting that turf buyback programs like Jordan Valley's Flip Your Strip are local-centric, Cox said he wants Utah to be the first state in the nation to implement its own. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This program would be for front yards, back yards or any other "non-functional" grass. Drip emitters and spray heads must be on separate zones. This will be the first statewide turf buyback program in the United States, with an expected rollout in the fall. TownLift is a web and mobile-based Entertainment & News media outlet providing Park City and Summit County Utah with Breaking Local News & Community Updates. They tore out turf and replaced it with native plants and rocks. While some turf areas are important and provide a lot of benefit (e.g., parks and playgrounds), many turf areas are hardly used and could be replaced by beautiful drought-tolerant vegetation that requires little to no water at all. Read all of our stories atgreatsaltlakenews.org. Residents in these areas are eligible for rebates. Localscapes Rewards. Turf buyback programs like " Flip Your Strip " incentivize people to replace thirsty grass with waterwise options. Theres not much more the state can do about the drought in the short term. "Theres going to be people that are going to have some pain points on this," Mayor Randall said. The bill establishes that participation is voluntary and not a governmental code or policy requirement. Communities can work with either a partner water district or the division to adopt landscape standards that qualify for the statewide program. Even though its water is filtered and recycled, the city said it is shutting down its splash pad on Aug. 2 due to some water loss. We need to expand this over the next few years. I can tell you that other states are looking at Utah very jealously right now. SALT LAKE CITY Most of Utahs municipal water goes outdoors about 70 percent. SB 110 Requires a water use and preservation element to be part of a municipal or county general plan. I have been really impressed driving around the city to see how many lawns are following the restrictions.. While most efforts are focused on managing the here and now, state officials are looking to Utahs water future and how to manage skyrocketing growth by preserving a precious natural resource. and establishing a statewide turf buyback program. 54 is a bill that is being considered that would eliminate the sales tax on food purchased in the state. If landscape fabric is used (not recommended), it must be permeable to water and air. Through state and district partnerships, eligible participants may receive up to $3 per square foot of lawn replaced with waterwise landscaping. If a homebuyer purchases a property that took advantage of the turf removal program, then plants a lawn where it was removed, they will be required to pay back any funds the previous homeowner. Like Cox, Ferry emphasized the critical factor of collaboration. The full statewide program will launch through utahwatersavers.com in spring 2023. Projects required by governmental codes or policy are not eligible for this program. Choose from the dishes weve highlighted to plan your meal or start brainstorming your own meal plan a couple of weeks before to make sure you have time to shop and prepare. And can he win? We have not put a lot of time and effort into our yard. SALT LAKE CITY The state legislature approved a $5 million rebate program for residents that remove their grass. She and members of the city council have called for a review all of St. George's ordinances and policies with an eye toward water savings. Concrete areas do not qualify for a square foot rebate, but pavers, bricks, stone, and other permeable materials are permitted. Cox emphasized, too, that land use planning needs to be integrated with water use planning, but more often than not, that coordination does not take place at the level it should. Weve scoured the web for you and narrowed down a few of our favorite Christmas dinner ideas to make your planning easy. Spencer Cox speaks about water conservation as Lt. Gov. Projects should remove all lawn from the park strip and replace it with water-efficient landscaping. Really to have the state government setting the example on water-wise use in our landscaping, said Rep. Robert Spendlove. Across the state there are multiple cities that have enacted various restrictions or taken other measures to cope with the effects of this drought. The Utah legislature recently passed three important water billsfocused on water conversation in the midst of a historic megadrought, includingthe first statewide turf buyback program in the country. Any culinary water use on lawns remains against city ordinance, and residents who abuse that rule could be subject to a fine as high as $250. Should parents follow singer Pinks advice for kids and social media? Spencer Cox said Utahns are getting the message to conserve water amid the crippling drought gripping almost all of the state which is about the only weapon in Utahs arsenal right now. No, this program requires plants and drip irrigation to be installed. The newly passed turf buy-back bill encourages people to replace their lawns with landscaping that uses less water. An effort to require all new secondary water connections be metered was brought up legislatively a few years ago, but the bill was modified and not nearly as aggressive as its sponsor wanted it to be. As one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, how we grow and develop today will set our water use for decades to come. Communities are welcome and encouraged to add additional standards, based on local need. Some local water districts have already started offering money for "flip your strip" programs designed to get rid of wasted grass on parking strips. The state will pay for up to 50 percent of the cost. If your community does not currently qualify for rebates, contact your elected municipal representative and encourage them to adopt qualifying landscape standards. Then theres how to pay for it. 12 arrested during All-Star Weekend for soliciting minors, Park City woman's car crushed by fallen ice at Kimball Junction Smith's, Prospector Square struggles with snow removal, illegal dumping, Utah's first auto restraint chairlift opens at Deer Valley Resort, 2-hour delayed start for Park City School District due to weather, FullTime Social Practitioner, SUMMIT COUNTY CLUBHOUSE, Adventure Camp Site Director- Park City, UT, YMCA of Northern Utah, Retail Sales Associate, Crosby Collection, ON CALL WAREHOUSE AND DELIVERY STAFF , Wild Events, L.A. Theatre Works Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom, Pi Day Celebration at Mathnasium of Park City, Snowy winter speeds drought recovery but Utahs not in the clear, Median snowpack water equivalent surpasses 2022s highest peak, Above-average snowpack levels are starting to make an impact in Utahs severe drought areas, Western US cities to remove decorative grass amid drought, Over 50% of Utah still in extreme drought even with above-average early-season snowpacks, Utah DNR marks the end of the water year with a new drought update. Cox discussed new policies his administration is hoping to push forward, like a buyback program for turf and secondary water metering. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints new temple location, Opinion: How to handle the final game of your childs basketball career, No deal on bill to eliminate signature gathering, bill yanked from committee, Proposal would give first-time Utah homebuyers $20,000, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices, cap costs at $35 for many people with diabetes, All-Star Weekend sting operation leads to child exploitation arrests. "It still has to be somewhat alive. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Sponsored by Rep. Val Peterson, R-Orem, HB242 provides $250 million in grants to fast track the metering of secondary water. No, you must have living lawn in your park strip at the time of the pre-conversion visit. Secondary water is a water source thats not treated and non-potable. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. (Isaac Hale | Special to The Tribune) Waves break on the shoreline of Utah Lake near the American Fork Boat Harbor on Thursday, June 17, 2021. 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utah turf buyback program 2023