Lawn Replacement Program

A rebate is  being offered by the City of Ashland for the removal of live, maintained and irrigated lawn that is replaced with climate appropriate, low water use landscapes and efficient irrigation systems.  The complete application packet is available at the bottom of this page.
 
    Applicant Eligibility:
  • Rebates are for City of Ashland utility customers who use potable water to irrigate landscapes. (TID cutomers on a case by case).
  • Landscape conversion must demonstrate a reduction in water use by 10% from the average of the highest three previous years. 
  • Rebate is available to all residential customers. Large conversions over 3,000ft2Will be considered on a case basis. 
  • Renters that assume the responsibility of paying the water bill are eligible for the rebate. The renter must obtain a permission form signed by the property owner in order to receive the rebate.
  • New construction: Drought tolerant plants and low volume irrigation in lieu of lawn is eligible for half the original rebate amount. 
  • Rebates are offered on a first come first serve basis and are subject to available funds. Future funding will be dependent upon approval of annual budget.   
    Terms & Conditions:
  • Qualifying Areas: Healthy lawn areas that have had regular irrigation with potable water over the past 5 years.  
  • Areas to Convert: Must have well maintained and watered live lawn (free of overgrown weeds and patches of bare soil) or permanently-installed outdoor areas of water (pools, ponds etc). Do not start killing or removing lawn prior to receiving approval.
  • HOA/CC&R: Prior to submitting a rebate application, applicants must have obtained any necessary approvals for their lawn replacement project from their HOA/CC&R board. 
  • Incentive Amounts: $1.25 per square foot for the first 1,000 ft2, $1.00 per square foot up to 2,000 ft2 and $0.75 per square foot thereafter.Maximum Residential Rebate: 3,000.  Maximum Commercial Rebate: $5,000.  Large commercial projects that show significant savings may be approved up to $7000.
  • Site Description: Applicants are required to submit a simple site design drawing of the new landscape and irrigation to be installed.
  • Mandatory Pre and Post Inspections.  Pre and post inspections are necessary to verify site descriptions submitted with the application form and to verify adequate completion of the project.  Once the pre-inspection is complete and the applicant is found to be eligible, the inspector will provide an Authorization to Proceed form and the project may begin. Starting without COA approval will make the conversion ineligible for a rebate under this program. 
  • Post Inspection: At the time of the post inspection. City staff with evaluate the new irrigation system for efficiency. The applicant must provide the inspector with copies of all invoices and/or receipts showing any costs incurred during the project. 
  • Site Details: COA staff must be allowed to take photos of landscapes prior to, during, and after being renovated through this Lawn Replacement Program and to use those photos for reproduction or promotional purposes including water consumption history. 
  • Important Timelines and Deadlines: Within 6 months of executing this agreement, the conversion must be complete and the contact person for the project at the COA must be notified. COA will inspect completed projects for compliance.
  • Project Receipts: Keep all receipts to turn in at the completion of the project. The rebate cannot exceed the overall project costs.
 
     Landscaping Requirements for Converted Area:
  • Plants: 90% of the plant material must be drought tolerant or considered low water use plants. (See part 2 on reverse side.)
  • Plant Coverage: At completion, converted areas must contain enough plants to create at least 50% living plant cover at maturity.
  • The converted area may not include any live lawn or invasive plant species.
  • Efficient Irrigation Components: If a watering system is used, all sprinkler heads in the project area must be removed, capped, or replaced with low volume irrigation (drip, micro-spray, bubblers, or low precipitation rotating nozzles) and must be equipped with a pressure regulator, filter and emitters if applicable.
  • Prevent Overspray: If only part of a lawn is converted, the sprinkler system must be properly modified to provide adequate coverage to the remaining lawn without spraying the converted area. Low volume and high volume irrigation must be on separate valves. 
  • Permeable Surfaces & Treatments: Converted areas must be permeable to air and water. Permeable surfaces can include ungrouted flagstone or pavers and artificial turf manufactured to be permeable. Concrete, plastic sheeting or other impermeable surfaces do not qualify for incentives under the program.
  • Mulch: Exposed soil must be completely covered by a layer of mulch. Common mulching materials include wood chips, decomposed granite, river rock, and bark. If a weed barrier is used beneath the mulch, it must be manufactured to be permeable to air and water. Living groundcovers qualify as mulch provided the plants are installed at a density to assure 100 percent plant cover at maturity. 

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