Page 40 - AreaNewsletters "Sept2022" issue

Xeriscaping Tips
Won Working with HOA’s and Others by Robert Sánchez, Colorado Master Gardener
hy should Colorado Front Range
gardeners consider xeriscaping?
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in dry climates such as the Southwest, residential use of water for landscaping can be as high as 60 percent of total municipal/residential water use and that 50 percent of that water is wasted from inef cient watering methods, totaling billions of gallons of water losses.
• Thefederalgovernmentregulates2,051publicwater systems in Colorado under the Safe Drinking Water Act, but 58 percent of water providers surveyed in Colorado have no dedicated budget for water conservation, meaning that we may have to take the lead on water conservation.
• Coloradowinterdroughtsin1976-77and1980-1981 led to bare ski slopes, empty reservoirs, and poor agricultural seasons, spurring the state to develop the nation’s rst drought monitoring and response plan in 1981. The monitoring and response plan has helped local water providers better plan their water availability against water needs, but monitoring drought has not been suf cient to stem the strain on water resources.
• Simply put, residential water consumption in the Front Range is not sustainable at the current rate.
• SamplingofFrontRangehomeowners’statedreasons for xeriscaping:
o Sustainability - want to prevent water waste
o Aesthetics – xeriscape looks healthier than turf during hot summer months
o Cost – irrigating turf is expensive
o Financial incentive – some water providers or communities offer rebates.
Fortunately, Colorado and many water providers in the Front Range are on your side. Unfortunately, HOAs are not always on your side, though many are coming around. Next
are some tips on
navigating HOAs
and a list of potential
resources to help
you decide if you
want to xeriscape
and how to do it.
This article does
not address the
advantages and
disadvantages of
xeriscaping, which may include a variety of considerations, including effects on property value based on the desire—or lack thereof—of xeriscape.
Colorado Revised Statutes 37-60-126, amended multiple times between 2005 and 2021, gives rights to residents living in HOAs. Regarding HOAs, the statutes state that limiting xeriscape, limiting the use of drought-tolerant vegetative landscapes, requiring turf grass, or limiting the use of non-vegetative turf grass in the backyard is unenforceable. This means that HOAs cannot force you to have turf in your front or back yards and cannot limit you from xeriscaping, but they can enforce design and aesthetic guidelines, such as the type and number of drought-tolerant plantings or the amount of non-vegetative material in the front yard. For example, one HOA states that any front yard landscape must consist of at least 70 percent living plant material, meaning that only 30 percent can be “zero-scape,” such as a eld of rock or mulch.
Tips on Navigating HOAs
Be patient, but be aware of timing requirements.
• Many HOAs have committees that review and approve of landscape designs. They may meet once or twice per month and you should be aware of their schedules and their workloads, particularly if you are on a schedule.
• One resident said that her town offers a xeriscape
September 2022 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters”
40
H O ME & G A R D E N