Ahhhh…water. It hydrates our bodies, fills up our pools, and keeps our yards alive, but it doesn’t come without a cost. In the United States, lawns alone consume between 30-60% of all urban freshwater. 

 

Reading that might sound a little scary. After all, it’s just grass right? You might be asking…  

 

Could Lawns Really Be That Bad?

 

Unfortunately, we’re here to tell you that they are that bad – and worse. Lawnmowers and other lawn-maintenance equipment contribute 5% of the nation’s air pollution and 17 million gallons of spilled gasoline annually. Lawns also eat up 10 times the amount of chemical pesticides that are used by farmers on industrial crops. The majority of these pesticides can cause various health hazards, and often get washed into our natural water bodies where they can cause additional harm.

 

And that’s not to mention how lawns provide little value to surrounding wildlife or the sheer difficulty of maintaining them in the first place. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way!

 

The Benefits of Replacing Your Lawn

 

Did you know that there’s something called the Be Waterwise ‘Turf Replacement Program’? This program, administered by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, offers a rebate per square foot of lawn you remove and replace with native plants. Through the Turf Replacement Program, you can also access an extensive directory of EPA WaterSense certified Qualified Water Efficient Landscape Professionals and Water Managers who can assist you with the design process, ensuring efficient water usage and environmentally friendly choices. If you are interested in designing your new landscaping yourself, California Invasive Plant Council handy guide helps you identify the best plants suitable to your specific region and water needs, and which invasives to avoid.  If you are not eligible for this program, check if your local water district offers any rebates.

 

Rebates are just one of the many benefits of switching to native landscaping. Here are some others for your consideration:

 

  • Reclaim some maintenance time. Lawns take work. You have to mow, water, fertilize and weed regularly. There are plenty of less intensive alternatives so you can spend that maintenance time enjoying your beautiful yard instead.  
  • Save on your water bill. As mentioned earlier, lawns are really water-intensive. Native alternatives tend to be much less thirsty and more adapted to our local climate. Helping California be more water-resilient will save you some dough, too.  
  • Spare the planet. When stormwater flows over our neighborhoods, it collects any and all stray substances and chemicals and carries them into our local rivers, creeks, lakes and beaches as pollution. Other landscaping options don’t require nearly as much fertilizer, pesticides or fuel consumption as lawns do, and thereby help to mitigate this stormwater pollution. If everyone tore out their green carpet and replanted with native and/or climate-adapted plants, we could have a marked impact on our pollution levels.   
  • Express yourself. When a boring flat green expanse is taking up 90% of the available space in your yard, it can be difficult to stand out. For all the home decorator enthusiasts out there, you’ll be happy to know that there are more than enough native California plants to really spruce things up in a unique way. Some great places to start exploring your options are the California Native Plant Society, the CalScape Native Plants Tool and the Theodore Payne Foundation.   

Discover a World of Eco-Friendly Alternatives

 

Once you’ve reclaimed that space in your yard, the sky’s the limit with what you can try. From moss gardens to xeriscaping, the collective realization that lawns aren’t the end-all be-all of home landscaping could lead you to a revolution of ideas and techniques. Who knows, maybe you could start the next big trend!

 

Are you replacing your lawn with California natives? Do you have any questions about environmentally friendly landscaping?  Have you already replaced your lawn? Send us pics at lastormwater@lacity.org and we’ll answer your questions or highlight your ideas on social media!