Heber Water Resilience Initiative

A Community-Led Plan to Reduce Nonessential Water Use Before Emergency Conditions

Vision
Heber Valley is facing increasing drought risk, shrinking snowpack, and growing concern over the future of the Great Salt Lake. Instead of waiting for mandatory restrictions during a crisis, our community can act now with practical, family-centered conservation.

This proposal does not eliminate green spaces. It protects the places that matter most:

Parks where children play
Soccer and sports fields
School play areas
Backyard family spaces

At the same time, it phases out irrigation for nonessential ornamental turf:

Roadside grass strips
Decorative grass around city buildings
Unused turf around parks
Excess turf in medians and HOA spaces
Low-use areas of golf courses

The goal is simple:

Use water where people actually use the grass.

Why This Matters
Utah uses enormous amounts of water on landscaping.

Studies from Utah water agencies estimate:

Around 60% of residential water use happens outdoors
Lawn irrigation is one of the largest municipal water demands
The average Utah lawn may use over 150,000 gallons per year depending on size and watering habits
Municipal and residential water conservation is one of the fastest ways to help restore flows to the Great Salt Lake

The Great Salt Lake crisis is not distant. As the lake shrinks:

Toxic dust increases
Air quality worsens
Snowpack and local climate are affected
Public health risks rise

This proposal is about protecting future generations before emergency measures become necessary.

Proposed Actions
Phase 1 — City-Led Example

Remove irrigation from:

Decorative roadside turf
City medians
Non-play areas around parks
Grass surrounding municipal buildings
Unused green strips

Preserve irrigation for:

Soccer fields
Baseball fields
School recreation areas
Community gathering lawns
Shade parks with heavy use

Retrofit sprinkler systems
Install sprinkler caps and redirect irrigation lines toward functional-use areas only.

Phase 2 — Native Restoration Program

Instead of replacing lawns with rock:

Allow native grasses to return
Seed drought-tolerant native plants
Encourage pollinator habitat
Reduce mowing frequency
Restore natural Utah landscapes

This approach:

Reduces heat better than rock landscaping
Supports wildlife and soil health
Lowers long-term maintenance costs
Preserves the beauty of the valley naturally

Phase 3 — Goat Grazing Program

Create a managed seasonal goat-grazing workforce for:

Weed control
Fire fuel reduction
Hillside maintenance
Natural grassland restoration

Benefits:

Lower fuel and mowing costs
Reduced herbicide use
Educational/community opportunities
Natural grass promotion

Cities across the western U.S. already use goats successfully for vegetation management.

Phase 4 — HOA & Resident Protection

Residents should not be punished for conserving water.

Proposed protections:

Prevent HOAs from requiring excessive ornamental turf
Allow native landscaping by right
Encourage low-water front yards
Create recognition programs for water-wise neighborhoods
Offer rebates for irrigation conversion

Estimated Cost Savings

Water Savings

Outdoor irrigation accounts for the majority of municipal residential water use.

Even reducing ornamental irrigation by: 25% could save millions of gallons annually in a growing community.

Example estimate:

1 acre of Kentucky bluegrass may use approximately 1 million gallons of water annually in Utah conditions.
Removing irrigation from 20 acres of decorative city turf could potentially save:

20+ million gallons of water per year

Estimated Retrofit Costs

Sprinkler Cap Conversion

Typical costs:

$2–$10 per sprinkler head
Labor varies depending on system complexity

Estimated pilot program:

$5,000–$20,000 depending on scale

Long-term savings:

Lower water bills
Reduced mowing
Reduced fertilizer use
Reduced maintenance labor
Lower equipment wear

Community Benefits

Environmental

Conserves water
Supports Great Salt Lake recovery
Reduces toxic dust risks
Improves drought resilience

Financial

Reduces municipal maintenance costs
Reduces irrigation infrastructure demand
Delays expensive future water projects

Family & Community

Protects recreation spaces
Keeps parks functional
Creates healthier natural spaces
Builds community pride and resilience

Call to Action
We ask Heber City leaders to:

Conduct an audit of nonessential irrigated turf
Launch a pilot conversion project
Prioritize functional-use green spaces
Create HOA-friendly conservation protections
Develop a native restoration and grazing plan
Begin conservation efforts now — before emergency restrictions are necessary

This is not about sacrificing beauty.

It is about redefining beauty in a drought-prone Utah future.

Heidi Franco

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