Colorado Springs, CO Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Turfgrass cap
- 25% of total site green space area
- Irrigation requirement
- Must be hydrozoned, separate irrigation system
- Slope limit
- Barred on slopes steeper than 5:1
- Location bans
- No medians, parking islands, or planters
- Minimum patch size
- Not allowed in areas under 100 sq ft
- Artificial turf allowance
- Up to 10% of non-living area separately
Summary
New Colorado Springs landscapes can't put more than 25 percent of the total green space into High Water Use Turfgrass under UDC § 7.4.904.D.2. The turf must be hydrozoned on its own irrigation system, can't be used as filler, and is barred from steep slopes, medians and narrow rights-of-way.
"2. High Water Use Turfgrass: a. High Water Use Turfgrass shall be hydrozoned and irrigated separately because of its unique water demand. b. High Water Use Turfgrass cannot be used as an infill material and should be used as a planned amenity or element, as defined in the Landscape Manual, in the designed landscape. c. High Water Use Turfgrass shall not comprise more than twenty-five (25) percent of the total green space area of the site, and shall not: (1) Be used on slopes greater than 5:1; (2) Be used in medians, parking lot islands, or parking lot planters; (3) Be used in any configuration that cannot be efficiently irrigated; (4) Be used in street right-of-way between curb and sidewalk or on other locations on a site that are less than seven (7) feet wide; and (5) Be used in areas with a contiguous area less than one hundred (100) square feet."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
2 specifically targets High Water Use Turfgrass. It must be hydrozoned and irrigated separately from the rest of the landscape because of its distinct water demand, and it cannot be used as an 'infill material', it has to be a deliberate, planned amenity as defined in the Landscape Policy Manual. Citywide, High Water Use Turfgrass cannot exceed 25 percent of a site's total green space area, and it is flatly barred from slopes steeper than 5:1, medians, parking lot islands and planters, any configuration that can't be efficiently irrigated, street rights-of-way narrower than 7 feet between curb and sidewalk, and any contiguous patch under 100 square feet.
b). Related plant-material rules in the same section separately allow up to 10 percent of the area not required to be living material to be covered with artificial turf if the Planning Manager finds it won't hurt the landscape's visual appearance, a distinct allowance from the turfgrass cap. G, with dead or diseased plant material replaced by the owner.
Violations & Fines
A Landscape Plan that puts more than 25 percent of the site's green space into High Water Use Turfgrass, or that places it on a banned slope, median, or narrow right-of-way strip, will not receive Planning Department approval, and without that approval the City will not issue a Building Permit or Certificate of Occupancy for the project (§ 7.4.904.A.1). Installed landscaping later found out of compliance is handled through the UDC's general enforcement process, where each day a violation continues counts as a separate violation (§ 7.5.903.D).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much regular lawn can a new Colorado Springs landscape have?
Can turfgrass go on a slope in Colorado Springs?
Is artificial turf an option instead of grass?
When does the City check my landscape plan for this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colorado Springs
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