turf replacement rebate<\/a> program offers residents $3 per square foot to remove grass and install drought-tolerant landscaping, with payments covering roughly a third of total project costs.<\/p>\nThe conservation effort also helps to shave down expensive water bills and also trims demand even as the population increases. Any water savings is critical in drought years \u2014 snowpack in the Central Cascades is currently just 6% of normal. <\/p>\n
City officials say participation grew in 2025, with 113 applications submitted and 80 projects completed \u2014 up from 58 completed projects in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re happy about that,\u201d said Dan Denning, the city\u2019s water conservation program manager. \u201cNo major changes to the program this year. It seems to be working well for folks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city plans to keep funding at about $90,000 and aims to reach 100 completed projects in 2026.<\/p>\n
Over the past two years, participants have removed nearly two acres of high-water-use turf, replacing it with native or drought-tolerant plants. On average, each project saves about 15,000 gallons of water annually, Denning said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been consistent throughout previous years, what we\u2019ve seen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The program is part of a broader strategy to curb summer water demand, when usage spikes due to lawn irrigation. City data shows water use can increase more than fivefold in summer months, with landscaping accounting for a majority of that demand.<\/p>\n
Denning said reducing outdoor water use remains one of the most effective tools available as Bend continues to grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re racing against is added demand,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we have seen in Bend is our per capita demand going down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city reports water use has declined to about 161 gallons per person per day across its service area, even as population has increased \u2014 a trend officials attribute to conservation programs and more efficient landscaping practices.<\/p>\n
The rebate program typically covers about 30% to 35% of project costs, which average around $8 per square foot. Homeowners who complete projects themselves can often reduce costs further.<\/p>\n
In addition to financial incentives, the city will offer workshops and outreach events this spring and summer to help residents transition away from traditional lawns. A field day focused on water-wise landscaping is scheduled for June 13 at Hollinshead Park, in partnership with local gardening groups.<\/p>\n
Denning said conservation efforts will continue to evolve as the city updates its long-term water management plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be looking at these conservation measures based off the actual savings numbers,\u201d he said. \u201cAre we hitting the trajectory we thought we were, or what else do we need to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
For residents not ready to remove their lawns, Denning said smaller changes \u2014 such as adjusting sprinkler schedules or upgrading to efficient fixtures \u2014 can still yield meaningful savings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re not sure where to start, reach out,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can help find specific ways for your property to save.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bend continues program that incentivizes residents to remove water-thirsty grass Published 5:30 am Saturday, April 25, 2026 The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":608073,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,79],"class_list":["post-608072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/608073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}