Denver Water wants all communities in our service area to experience the benefits of climate-resilient, water-wise landscaping. Our Community Projects effort can help. Unlike our other landscape transformation programs aimed at replacing water-thirsty turfgrass, Community Projects will also help pay for new landscape on abandoned, nonirrigated spaces in underserved communities. We know that investing in these spaces will beautify, cool and provide many other ecosystem benefits for everyone.
- Denver Water will provide funding of up to $2 per square foot for approved projects. Example: a 5,000-square-foot project would be eligible for $10,000.Funding is limited. Awardees may only get a portion of funds requested depending on applicant pool and annual budget. The size and scope of the project will be factored into the final funding amount.
- Funds can be used to help pay for design, materials, labor and outreach for community-based landscape projects.
- Unlike other LTAP programs that require a final site inspection for payout, Community Projects recipients can receive funds incrementally by submitting invoices as project tasks are completed. Denver Water will reserve the final 20% of funds for a final site inspection. Documentation must include itemized total project expenses, such as design and materials and labor.
- LTAP funding is available to project partners who receive a water bill from Denver Water or one of these qualifying water providers.
- Projects must benefit the community. Ideas should focus on improving landscapes for public well-being and providing environmental benefits.
- Examples: Provide shading/cooling with tree or vine canopies; give access to locally grown food (food forest, community garden); increase climate-resilience through landscape choices; provide landscape education (demonstration areas); beautify abandoned areas; increase biodiversity, etc.
- Applicant must engage community members and have proof of its engagement process and the community’s support of the project.
- Project must be located within a disproportionately impacted community or provide benefit to a vulnerable population.
- Applicant must have proof of long-term sustainability of project, including details of long-term property ownership. If someone else owns the property, the applicant must demonstrate an agreement with the property owner for long-term use of the property for the project’s purposes.
- Applicant must provide letters of support from local nonprofit, government and/or other organizations invested in the project’s future.
- Project must describe the long-term stewardship plan for project maintenance, such as who will pay for water bills, irrigation system repairs and landscape maintenance.
- Applicants must fill out the initial intake form.
- Denver Water staff will review the initial intake form and contact the applicant to schedule a phone consultation.
- Once project details and the requested funding amount are identified, the applicant must submit a formal application online.
- Applications must be received by Nov. 1 for project funding requests for the upcoming calendar year.
- Project tasks funded by LTAP must be completed by Oct. 15 of the year the project was approved. LTAP funding cannot be rolled over to the following calendar year.
- Denver Water will send a notification of funding award to applicants following successful submittal application. Once received, the applicant may begin installing the project.
- Funding will be distributed to the applicant after Denver Water completes a final site inspection following project completion.
- Nonprofit organizations
- Neighborhood/community-based organizations
- Federally recognized tribes
- Municipalities
- Local governments
- Designs that include artificial turf, landscape fabrics/weed barriers or hardscapes. These do not benefit the environment.
- Grass seed mixes that contain predominantly high-water grasses.
- Grasses branded as “xeric,” “drought-tolerant” and “low-water” that contain predominantly high-water-use turfgrass in the seed mix.
- Design plans that remove or do not include irrigation for established trees.
Native and water-wise grasses
There are plenty of water-wise, drought-resilient, sustainable and functional replacements for thirsty turfgrasses like Kentucky bluegrass.
The Colorado Guide to Native and Water Wise Grass provides in-depth characteristics on approved grass types for a sustainable ColoradoScape lawn, as well as an overview of the transformation planning process. The Colorado Native Grass website provides eight water-wise and sustainable grass choices with parameters to help you choose what’s right for your yard. Examples of parameters include water savings (high, medium, low), light needs, maintenance levels, elevation range and traffic tolerance.
Approved grass:
- Buffalograss
- Blue grama grass
- Buffalo/blue grama mix: PBSI Native Lawn Mix and Western Native Xeriscape Lawn Mix
- Native prairie mixes: PBSI Native Prairie Mix and Western Native Short Grass Prairie Mixes
- Cold hardy bermudagrasses (example: Tahoma 31)
Colorado suppliers
Perennials and shrubs
Native and adaptive perennials offer various textures and colors good for pollinators, drought resiliency and climate-adaptive vegetation. Plant Select offers free water-wise landscape designs ideal for Colorado properties.
You can save water immediately by evaluating your sprinkler system, repairing leaks, upgrading equipment and controllers, and adjusting your watering schedule.
Denver Water offers several incentive programs for increasing irrigation efficiency. Rebates are available for rotary and high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles and WaterSense-labeled smart irrigation controllers. We also offer free irrigation audits through our partnership with Resource Central via the Slow the Flow: Residential Sprinkler Evaluations. Partnering staff will conduct an on-site evaluation and provide a detailed report with suggestions to improve the efficiency of your sprinkler system.
Resource Central: This Boulder-based nonprofit is focused on conservation in Colorado. Resource Central offers several residential programs and resources for ColoradoScaping.
CSU Extension: Backed by research from Colorado State University, CSU Extension offers a variety of free ColoradoScaping and irrigation efficiency information and resources, such as the Master Gardener program.
Denver Botanic Gardens: There are several locations to view and learn about ColoradoScaping around the Denver-metro area. The Botanic Gardens also provides numerous resources and programming for water-wise landscaping.
EPA WaterSense Find a Professional: This directory of certified professionals within the landscape and irrigation industry can help you work on your project.