AURORA | Aurora is replacing the Great Lawn at the Aurora Municipal Center with drought-tolerant Bermudagrass as part of a citywide effort to reduce water use and improve the sustainability of its parks, city officials said Wednesday.
The city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department, working with contractor Elite Industries, started the conversion this week by removing the existing Kentucky bluegrass, which requires significantly more water to maintain, officials said in a statement.
The change comes amid a record-breaking drought and citywide water restrictions imposed on both residential and commercial water users.
Aurora Water officials have set a 20% year-over-year reduction in overall water use as a goal.
So far, Aurora Water says the city is doing a good job reducing its water use, with total demand for the year, including indoor use, down 8%, while outdoor irrigation is down 20%. Stage 1 drought restrictions call for a 20% reduction on outdoor irrigation.
City officials said the warm-season Bermudagrass is better suited to Colorado’s climate and is one of the few turf varieties approved by Aurora Water for installation during the current Stage 1 drought restrictions.
Drought and water use have been in the news since spring, when low-reservoir levels made headlines.
City officials in Aurora are considering penalties for Niagara Bottling, the city’s largest water consumer, for failing to reduce usage during a severe drought. While the plant has not yet exceeded its 178-million-gallon annual allocation, officials expressed concern that current production levels will lead to an overage. In response, the company announced plans to implement efficiency initiatives intended to significantly cut consumption by 2027.
Earlier this month, Mayor Mike Coffman created a stir when he highlighted grass he considered too green at a local high school and insisted on ensuring the school followed water restrictions.
All this has prompted city water officials to ask residential and commercial property owners to consider so-called “xeriscape” or lower water usage landscaping or replace water-thirsty grasses with varieties that need less water and are more tolerant to drought.
The “Great Lawn” project is part of the department’s “Back to Our Roots” initiative, a long-term program aimed at replacing high-water-use turf with more drought-tolerant alternatives.
According to the city, similar conversions can reduce water use in affected areas by as much as 70%, conserving millions of gallons of water over time.
The Great Lawn grass replacement is expected to continue through the end of August as crews remove the existing grass, prepare the site and install the new sod.
Visitors to the Municipal Center can expect construction equipment, temporary sidewalk closures, pedestrian detours and occasional noise during normal working hours while the work is underway.
Although the conversion is scheduled to finish in August, the Great Lawn will remain closed through September to allow the new grass to establish a healthy root system, officials said. Sidewalks surrounding the lawn are expected to reopen once construction is complete, and the lawn is expected to reopen to the public in October.
During the establishment period, residents may see watering outside the city’s typical overnight irrigation schedule. The city said the additional watering is temporary, permitted by Aurora Water under a sod permit and uses non-potable recycled water.
The cost of the replacement is estimated to cost about $200,000. The city pays have and half is paid for by a federal WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants program, city spokesperson Ted Bryant said in a statement.
The Great Lawn conversion is one of eight slated for areas across the city as part of the grant program.
Do you suspect that your water bill, Aurora citizens, even if you comply will go down 20% over the next few years? Didn’t think so.
Marshall Brown makes good water, buys nice ranches builds nice pipelines and tries to build nice reservoirs. We his paying subjects pays for all that before they are built.
Marshall Brown is not your friend, Aurora water customers.