Replacing Your Lawn: Low-Water Alternatives and What Each One Saves

A lawn is the thirstiest plant most American homes own. The EPA’s WaterSense program estimates that outdoor use is close to 30 percent of household water nationally and can reach 60 percent in dry western regions, and most of that goes on grass. Much of it is wasted to runoff, wind and watering on a schedule instead of when the soil is dry.

You don’t have to rip out the whole yard. Most of the saving comes from removing grass you never walk on: the strip by the street, the slope that’s hard to mow, the shady corner where it grows thin anyway.

Five alternatives, from cheapest to most thorough

Clover in the lawn

White clover was a standard part of lawn seed mixes until broadleaf weed killers came along in the 1950s. It fixes its own nitrogen, so the lawn needs little or no fertilizer, and it stays green through dry spells that turn bluegrass brown. Overseed in early spring or early fall at a few ounces of seed per 1,000 square feet; a pound costs $10 to $20, and microclover, a smaller variety that blends better, costs more. The downsides: it wears faster under heavy foot traffic, it can stain clothes, and its flowers draw bees, which matters if kids play barefoot.

Native and low-water grasses

In the Great Plains and much of the West, buffalograss and blue grama stay green on roughly a quarter to half the water of Kentucky bluegrass once established, and they’re happy mowed a few times a season. In the North, fine fescue mixes sold as “no-mow” or low-mow grass do a similar job in sun or part shade. Seeding costs well under $1 per square foot; plugs and sod cost more. Expect a patchy first year.

Groundcovers

Low plants such as creeping thyme, sedum, native sedges, wild strawberry or pussytoes fill spaces you don’t walk on often. Plant plugs 8 to 12 inches apart at $2 to $4 each and they’ll close up in two seasons. Until then you’ll be pulling weeds, so mulch between them.

Xeriscape

Xeriscape means planting for your climate: drought-tolerant shrubs, perennials and grasses, grouped by water need, on drip irrigation, with mulch or gravel between. It doesn’t have to mean rock and cactus. In Denver it looks like a prairie garden; in Phoenix it’s desert shrubs and shade. Done yourself with small plants, it runs $2 to $5 per square foot. A landscaper charges $8 to $20.

How to convert a patch of lawn

1. 1

   Pick the low-use grass first 30 min · free

   Walk the yard and mark the areas nobody plays on, sits on or crosses: street strips, slopes and narrow side yards. They’re often the hardest to water without runoff.

2. 2

   Check rebates before you dig 1 hour · free

   Most turf-replacement programs require a pre-inspection photo and approval. Remove grass first and you may lose the payment.

3. 3

   Kill the grass without digging 6–10 weeks · $0–$50

   Cover it with overlapping cardboard and 3 to 4 inches of wood chips, or solarize it under clear plastic in summer. Digging out sod costs more and brings up weed seed.

4. 4

   Plant in fall or early spring 1–2 days · $1–$4 per sq ft

   Cooler weather means less watering while roots grow. Group plants with similar water needs.

5. 5

   Switch irrigation to drip 2–4 hours · $50–$150

   Spray heads waste water on shrubs and beds. Convert the zone to drip or cap the heads you no longer need.

Turf rebates in the West

Where water is short, utilities pay you to remove grass because it’s cheaper than finding new supply. The Southern Nevada Water Authority has paid around $3 per square foot in recent years. In Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District’s program has paid about $2 per square foot, and some local agencies add their own money on top. Utilities in Arizona, Colorado, Utah and parts of Texas run similar programs, typically somewhere around $1 to $3 per square foot.

Amounts, caps and rules change most years, and many programs require a minimum area, drip irrigation, a set share of plant cover and no artificial turf. Search your water utility’s website for “turf replacement” or “lawn conversion” before you start.

Who saves the most

The water saving depends almost entirely on your climate. A desert lawn can drink 50 or more gallons per square foot a year, so 1,000 square feet converted saves 50,000 gallons, about $300 to $600 at outdoor water prices. In Ohio or Georgia, where rain does most of the work, the same conversion might save 10,000 to 15,000 gallons and $60 to $180. The East still gains less mowing, no fertilizer bill and a yard that holds up in drought summers.