Manitou Springs, CO Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Points for drought-tolerant turf swap
- 2 points
- Minimum sustainability points required
- 5 points, all new development
- High-water plant cap (commercial etc.)
- max 30% of landscaped area
- Bonus for extra points
- outdoor amenity space cut in half
- Governing section
- LUDC § 18.03.7.5, Table 18.03.7.5-1
Summary
Manitou Springs does not ban high-water turfgrass outright, but every new residential and nonresidential development must earn at least five sustainability points from a menu in the Land Use and Development Code, and swapping in drought-tolerant grass for high-water turfgrass is one of the listed options, worth two points toward that mandatory minimum.
18.03.7.5Sustainable Site Improvement Standards and Incentives.A.All new residential and non-residential development is required to achieve a minimum of five (5) points from the menu below. ... TABLE 18.03.7.5-1. Sustainable Site Improvements Menu of Incentives Menu Item Allotted Points ... Natural Resource Protection ... Use drought tolerant grass in place of high water turfgrass 2 points
Full Breakdown
13. The table's Natural Resource Protection category lists 'Use drought tolerant grass in place of high water turfgrass' as a two-point item, sitting alongside options such as native or xeric planting for at least fifty percent of the required landscape area (also two points) and stormwater bioswale routing (five points per twenty percent of impervious area treated). 8. 7 in half, except for trails and trail connections, which cannot be reduced. C, and every incentive actually used has to be noted on the recorded development plan.
Violations & Fines
Turf replacement itself is optional, but a development plan that claims points it has not actually installed, or that later removes a sustainability-menu improvement without replacing it under Section 18.03.7.5.C, is a Land Use and Development Code violation subject to the general penalty in Section 1.01.100: a fine of up to $2,650, up to ninety days in jail, or both, or a civil abatement action in municipal court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manitou Springs requiring homeowners to remove their lawns?
Are there any limits on lawn area for new commercial projects?
What do I get for earning extra sustainability points?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manitou Springs
Compare Manitou Springs to another location·View the Colorado water use rules overview
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