Bill banning new, non-functional turf for local governments passes both chambers of Colorado legislature
Allen Best/Big Pivots
A bill that would prevent local governments from planting new grass turf in areas like medians and right-of-ways was approved on Thursday by the House in the Colorado legislature.
Senate Bill 5, which garnered bipartisan support in both chambers, wouldn’t be enacted until January 2026. It also wouldn’t impact any residential areas or recreational spaces, like golf courses or parks.
“This is a bill about saving water in Colorado,” Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat and prime sponsor of the legislation, said during a committee hearing on the bill. “This is grass that is not used for any functional purpose that often is never touched except to be mowed.”
The bill, which was first considered by the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee in October, was given final approval by the House on Thursday. Gov. Jared Polis still must give his approval for it to become law.
Republican Sen. Cleave Simpson is another prime sponsor of the bill. When asked during a Senate hearing how much of an impact the change would make on the state’s water intake, he acknowledged it was hard to quantify since it would only impact new turf placement.
“But if you could turn the clock back and have done this 20 years ago or 30 years ago, (the impact) is in the 10,000 acre feet range, probably,” he said.
An acre foot of water is the amount that covers one acre and is one foot deep.
Kelly Romero-Heany, the assistant director for water policy for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said in a committee hearing in January that the agency is supportive of the bill. Other proponents include various conservation groups and some local governments.
Only a handful of groups registered as opponents of the bill, including the Colorado Municipal League. Heather Stauffer, the legislative advocacy manager for the organization, told lawmakers the group is opposed because they see it as the state overstepping into something that should be controlled locally.
Reps. Barbara McClauchlan and Karen McCormick are also both sponsors of the legislation.
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