Landscape Lawn Exchange Program
Replace grass. Save water. Get rewarded.
The Weber Basin Landscape Lawn Exchange Program offers a financial incentive to replace existing lawn, which has the highest residential water demand, with attractive, water‑wise landscaping using more drought tolerant plant varieties.
This is an incentive program not a rebate program. Incentives are paid after project completion and final inspection if all requirements are met. You must apply first before beginning any project!
Incentive Amount
- $2.50 per square foot of qualifying lawn removed and replaced with low-water plants and other materials.
- Lawn may be removed anywhere on the property
- Payment is issued by check to the property owner after final approval
- Maximum incentive is $50,000 per property
Eligibility: Who Can Apply?
You may apply and qualify if:
- Your project will remove at least 250 square feet of existing, living lawn
- The lawn must be healthy and in place at the time of the initial site visit
- Your property is located in an eligible city or county (ordinances dictate if city or county is eligible)
- The project is voluntary (not required by code or policy)
- You apply and receive approval before starting any work
Not Eligible
- Lawn already removed or killed before application
- Replacing lawn with artificial turf, concrete, or other hard surfaces
- Replacing lawn with a different type of drought‑tolerant turfgrass
- Replacing existing drip irrigation, mulch, rock, or plants (this is a lawn replacement program only)
Before You Start
- Do not remove any lawn until your application is approved! You will not qualify if lawn is already removed.
- Only lawn that is living and present during the initial site visit can be counted toward the incentive.
- Participants are responsible for ensuring their project complies with local city ordinances and requirements.
How the Program Works
- Apply online at www.mywaterutah.org (there is no paper application)
- In the application provide a brief description of:
- Lawn area to be removed (areas around your home)
- Proposed replacement landscaping (what will be going back in)
- Weber Basin will schedule a virtual site visit (via zoom to see your area and answer questions before you start)
- Sign the Program Agreement (notarization required)
- Submit a completed IRS W‑9 form (done in the application process)
- Receive approval to begin work
- Complete the project (you have 12 months from approval date) and submit required completion photos in your original application
- Schedule a final in‑person inspection from the application page (using your login)
- Receive your incentive payment by mail
Allow up to 3 weeks for final check to be processed.
Landscape Requirements
All projects must include:
- Low‑water plants (no annuals/vegetable gardens for required coverage)
- For the lawn removal area, you will need to place new plants so that at least 35% of this area will be covered with plants at maturity. Existing plant coverage does not count toward the 35% unless there has been written documentation by District staff that there is sufficient coverage from existing plants. Park strips are exempt from plant coverage requirements as long as there is compliance with local landscape code.
- 3–4 inches of mulch (bark, rock, or gravel)
Tree requirement:
- One medium or large drought‑tolerant shade tree per 3,000 sq. ft. of project area needs to be planted as part of this project. Exceptions may apply if project area is smaller or other trees have canopy coverage in these areas.
- Tree exemptions may apply for overhead powerlines or other circumstances.
Irrigation Requirements
- Planting areas must use low‑volume drip irrigation
- Drip systems must include visible filters and pressure regulators
- Emitters must be 5 gallons per hour or less
- Spray and drip irrigation must be on separate valves
- Micro‑spray emitters, bubblers and soaker hoses are not allowed
Inspections & Deadlines
- Projects must be completed within 12 months of approval
- Final inspection must occur while irrigation water is still on to allow staff to check operation of the drip system.
- Incomplete projects become ineligible for payment
- If corrections are needed, participants will be given a maximum of 60 days to make corrections and reschedule inspection
Funding Availability
- Funding is available on a first‑come, first‑served basis
- Applications may be paused or denied if funds are depleted
- All approved projects have funding secured and will proceed even if funding later runs out
Eligible Cities & Areas
This program is available in all cities in Davis, Weber, Morgan and Summit counties. Incentive dollar amounts vary due to ordinances adopted. Cities that have adopted water-efficient standards have incentive amounts of $2.50 whereas the rest of the cities with no adopted standards have incentives amounts of $1.25. The application page lists all cities with their associated amounts.
Institutional Properties (Government, Private, Public)
Public and private institutions that own and maintain more than five properties can qualify for the Landscape Lawn Exchange program. The same requirements for Residential and Commercial properties are applicable. In these institutional applications, WBWCD will only incentivize half of the project square footage up to $50,000 per institution per year. These entities can apply for projects for multiple years.
Community Qualifications to Participate in the Program
The minimum requirements that must be adopted by cities or counties into landscape ordinances include:
- Areas within the public right of way between the curb and gutter and the sidewalk shall not be landscaped with lawn for all new development.
- Lawn areas will not be allowed in areas that are less than 8 ft wide at its narrowest point.
- Lawn areas will not exceed 35% of the front and side yard landscaped areas for single-family residential.
- New commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family developments shall not have lawn areas that exceed 15% of the total landscaped area, outside of designated active recreational areas that meet State and District design and landscape standards.