Water-wise Landscaping in Homeowners’ Association Communities
On May 17, 2023, Governor Polis signed the Water-wise Landscaping in HOAs bill (HB23-178) into law. This is a huge step in removing barriers to turf replacement in Colorado.
Under current law, a unit owners' association (association) of a common interest community may not prohibit the use of xeriscape, nonvegetative turf grass, or drought-tolerant vegetative landscapes to provide ground covering to property for which a unit owner is responsible.
The bill states that an association's guidelines or rules must:
Not prohibit the use of nonvegetative turf grass in the backyard of a unit owner's property;
Not unreasonably require the use of hardscape on more than 20% of the landscaping area of a unit owner's property;
Allow a unit owner an option that consists of at least 80% drought-tolerant plantings; and
Not prohibit vegetable gardens in the front, back, or side yard of a unit owner's property.
For more details and to read the entire bill, visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB23-178.
Not only does this bill help conserve Colorado’s water resources, it also helps protect our ecosystems, soil, pollinators, and increases carbon sequestration. This bill provides more opportunities for regenerative gardening and building resilient landscapes within our increasing climate challenges.
Honeywood Garden Design helps you create and build regenerative landscapes.
