Applicant must be in good standing with a participating water provider. 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. The law does require you to have "living grass." Over 100 patients with brain tumors attended the same high school. HB 121 appropriated $5 million for statewide turf buyback, making Utah the first that offers a statewide rebate program. Turf buyback programs like Jordan Valley's . Plants may not exceed 24 inches in height at maturity. BLM says its because of a killer cocktail of factors. What about people who have already xeriscaped their lawns and wont get money from the state. #utleg #utpol . House Bill 121(water conservation modifications) provides $5 million in incentives for people that want to voluntarily replace turf with drought-resistant landscaping and imposes water conservation requirements by state agencies at state government facilities. ST. GEORGE, Utah Wilson and Kari Jimenez are thrilled with how their yard looks. The state will pay for up to 50 percent of the cost. Eight streams are flowing at record low conditions, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. 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. Cox also said there are fewer wildfires burning in Utah in recent weeks, despite the increased danger from dry conditions. The HB 121 bill lists some preliminary eligibility requirements. "We still have a little bit of grass here, but we plan to eliminate the rest of that and continue with the desert landscape," Kari Jimenez said, showing FOX 13 News her new landscaping. Rebate amount varies by location. With upward of 70% of municipal and industrial water used for outdoor landscaping, Cox said it is past time for the state and cities to aggressively embrace water-saving strategies. Weve taken the guesswork out of it for you with our ready-made plans. Receive up to $1.25 per square foot for replacing the lawn in your park strip with a water-efficient design. Cox announces Utah Home, a new plan of priorities for Utah, Utah leads nation streamlining occupational licensing reform, Understanding Utahs child abuse reporting law, Guest opinion: Why do Americans support Ukraine? You save a lot of money in your water bills if you convert that lawn, so I dont know if we need to add more of a financial benefit on it, Sandall added. While noting that turf buyback programs like Jordan Valleys Flip Your Strip are local-centric, Cox said he wants Utah to be the first state in the nation to implement its own. HB 121 also requires water conservation at state facilities. Projects required by governmental codes or policy are not eligible for this program. For us, we just didnt need it and for those who dont need the water, it gives a little more for those who need to take a little more.. ", Kari said she would have liked to have gotten some money to "help with offsetting material and that type of stuff.". We have seen significant water reductions in every water district across the state, Cox said, lauding the efforts of the public and water managers. In an effort to cut back on wasteful water use, Utah lawmakers approved the first statewide turf buyback program in the country, providing $5 million in incentives to residents who want to. New developments in the area have prohibited turf lawns or kept them small. Increase your curb appeal, reduce water use, and get money back when you participate in the Flip Your Strip rebate program. With the dramatic decline of the Great Salt Lake and repeated pleas from state leaders to conserve water in the ongoing mega-drought, people have remarked at the high cost of replacing landscaping with drought-friendly turf. Let it go," the mayor said. How do we make that fair? Sandall asked. Thats ambitious, but Cox may have his work cut out for him if he wants to implement it on a statewide level. While the winter overflow system in Salt Lake County has been expanded this winter, the availability of beds has been a consistent issue. Also attending are, from left, Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Brian Steed, St. George Mayor Michele Randall, Lt. Clerk of the House. Spencer Cox and Lt. In Sandy, the community has saved more than 234 million gallons of water the equivalent of 359 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The state passed a bill trying to change that. All rights reserved. Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed. Realistically, they wont bear fruit, or water, until 2023. To all those people who asked what are YOU going to do, this is the answer, Cox said. Metering secondary water systems, working with farmers and ranchers, and starting a statewide turf buyback program are all steps Utah needs to take to be more waterwise. This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lakeand what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. You read that right, Why theres not much room for optimism with Utah water supplies, Saving the otherworldly place of Utahs declining inland sea, The Deseret News is on a journey to help the Great Salt Lake. Bill Numbered but not Distributed. The Jimenezes' neighbors have admired the landscaping project and expressed an interest in doing it themselves. Spencer Cox speaks about water conservation during the current drought at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District in West Jordan on Thursday, July 29, 2021. ", Water conservation authority considers 'turf buyback' as St. George reviews wasteful ordinances. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Utah Council on Financial and Economic Education raises awareness of savings resources, focuses on reducing barriers for Utahns to access critical financial services, Texas Instruments to build new chip factory in Lehi, bringing hundreds of jobs to the state, Gov. Roughly $100 million of that is already going toward implementing water meters on secondary water systems statewide. Cox may have a tough time getting them to dip into ARPA funds for the program, as lawmakers have already said they want that money to be used for generational programs. In Jordan Valley's program, participation in the Flip Your Strip program is up 160% this year. This is a huge win for Utah. 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. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I want to have a shower. The Jimenezes have already recorded some water savings. However, the Utah Department of Natural Resources is taking sign ups now to. But theres still a lot we need to do," she said. A water conservation bill currently in the Legislature would also require the state to reduce outdoor water use. Very low water levels at Jordanelle Reservoir in Wasatch County are pictured after Gov. "Youve got a lot of churches with lots and lots of lush, grass that nobody even steps on. Following our visit, you will also receive a summary report including information . Program funding is available statewide. ), The Best Tools for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Workplace Success. Qualifications: You must live in a qualifying city (see the list below). Rebate information for Washington County residents is available on the Washington County Water Conservancy District site. By switching out grass that isn't used, Utahns can conserve significant amounts of water. All Rights Reserved, How can people save water in drought? In addition to urging Utahns to continue to conserve water, Gov. This rule is in place to follow local city ordinances. The four measures he hopes legislators take up during the next session include: Statewide installation of secondary water meters You still have a place where neighbors can congregate and stand and have that feel, but the entire front lawn isnt grass," Renstrom said. To conserve, we need to plant grass in areas where its actively used, not treat grass as the default ground cover. Most water providers have moved to a twice-a-week-only irrigation regimen and some are shutting down the season early, such as Davis and Weber Counties Canal Co., which will cease providing water in September. Begin your application. Removing lawn from your park strip will save an estimated 5,000-8,000 gallons of water each yearand you can get cash for doing it. We want our kids to play on it and our dogs," Hasenyager said. If we can cut back on that, weve already had substantial savings. Trees will not be considered in density calculations. The legislature allocated $5 million in incentives across the state. 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. A study for the prioritization of water rights who gets what and how much during an extreme water shortage. Taller plants block views, impede safety, and can interfere with city maintenance. Whats next for Utah in wake of leaked SCOTUS draft abortion decision? Existing state facilities will need to cut outdoor water use 5% by 2023 and 25% by 2026, under H.B. Theyve learned they can have that same look by using water-friendly landscaping," said Zachary Renstrom, the general manager of the water conservancy district. Donate to the newsroom now. This bill appropriated $250 million in. The this is the Utah Legislatures passage of a dozen water-related bills and ensuing endorsement by Cox that transform them into law. To install SLC Turf Trade, you will have to kill your existing lawn. Water-saving strategies are showing some success in unique ways. City Manager Jon Call said normally the use of any culinary water outside is strictly prohibited, but a shortened irrigation season is requiring flexibility to be built into the system. In new commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family development common area landscapes, lawn areas shall not exceed 20% of the total landscaped area, outside of active recreation areas. Its saving water," she said. The Legislature appropriated $70 million to continue improving agricultural water use practices, create benefits for farmers. We have not put a lot of time and effort into our yard. You have 6 months after your application to complete your park strip project. Is there a connection? Once your application has been approved, you have up to one year to complete your landscaping project. This is generational.. Submit completion photos of your project online. Also in the midst of planning are potential new water storage projects in Utah. Flip Your Strip involves removing lawn from your park strip and replacing it with water-efficient plants and a drip irrigation system. Then theres how to pay for it. These requirements include waterwise landscape standards for new residential developments. Cox's plan is to become a trailblazer nationwide for the reduction of water use on turf landscapes by implementing a statewide program. Dormant is still alive," Hasenyager said. These types of programs are typically offered at the local level. Download one of our easy park strip designs and start there. Utah is the fastest growing state in the nation, growing 18.4% over the past decade compared to the national average of 7.4%. The goalis to plant grass in areas where it's actively used deductible, Report a missed paper by [email protected] calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or [email protected]. Yes, but it is your responsibility to clear the project with your HOA. Extreme drought has highlighted the need for Utah to stretch the water supply and look for ways to improve efficiency. Will Mitt Romney seek re-election in 2024? 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