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:

1. Conduct an audit of nonessential irrigated turf
2. Launch a pilot conversion project
3. Prioritize functional-use green spaces
4. Create HOA-friendly conservation protections
5. Develop a native restoration and grazing plan
6. 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.