Remember the 2009 “Cash for Clunkers” craze? You know the uber-popular rebate program that encouraged people to trade in their gas-guzzlers for fuel efficient vehicles? Well, Cash for Grass is just like that. Several local water utilities in California are encouraging people to replace their thirsty grass with drought tolerant native plants and trees. That’s right, rebates for planting more plants and trees. And yes, replacing your lawn with plants and trees is really THAT important.
California and much of the western United States has been plagued by drought and water shortages for many years. The Cash for Grass program is a response to these water shortages. By getting people to trade thirsty turf grass for drought tolerant plants, residents can greatly reduce their outdoor watering needs. We are lucky here in Hampton Roads to have plenty of fresh water for our everyday use. And while conserving water is certainly important, the Cash for Grass program has additional potential for Hampton Roads.
As thirsty as grass can be you would expect it to be great at soaking up rainwater, right? Well, the reality is that grass has weak root structures when compared with most other plants and trees. Just think, would you rather pull up grass roots or tree roots? The deeper roots of plants, trees and rain gardens help pull rainwater into the ground where pollutants can be filtered out before washing into waterways. This makes the Cash for Grass program a great way to reduce pollution in local waterways. And with new regulations on water quality for the Chesapeake Bay, innovative programs like Cash for Grass just might be popping up in Hampton Roads in the near future.
Check out these before and after pictures from SoCal Water Smart to see their program at work!
So what do you think? Would you trade-in your grass to help cleanup water pollution and conserve water here in Hampton Roads?