Northern Utah homeowner tears out lawn after tough water restrictions put in place

LAYTON, Utah — Amid the state’s ongoing drought, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District announced its toughest water restrictions yet, prompting some homeowners to tear out their yards.

Residents in Weber, Morgan, Davis, Summit and part of Box Elder counties will have to wait an extra month before they can start watering their lawns. And they can only water once a week, down from twice a week last year.

The district also reduced secondary water deliveries by 60%, indoor water deliveries by 10%, and agricultural contracts by 40%.

General manager Scott Paxman said, “We’ve never had water restrictions like this or drought like this.”

Coming out of the last couple of years of drought with low reservoirs and just 65% of normal snowpack, Paxman said, “We have to be here. It’s very necessary.”

The only positive he sees with the current drought situation is above normal levels for soil moisture.

“Which means it’s going to hopefully be a more efficient runoff,” he said. “More melting in streams and reservoirs.”

But Paxman estimates the water district needed 150% of normal snowpack in order to fill reservoirs this year.

The tougher restrictions made the decision to get rid of their lawn easier for the Martinez family.

“Well, it’s not very fun. It’s expensive,” Gene Martinez said as he watched the crew rip out grass and begin replacing it with rocks.

Martinez, who lives in Layton, said a good portion of his grass died last year when they were limited to two waterings a week.

When he learned of the water district’s proposed restrictions last month, he knew he needed to change up the property where he’s lived for more than 30 years.

“We’re not going to have any water so we got to do something,” he said.

“The people that fertilize my lawn and everything. They say there’s no way. There’s no way it’s going to survive. Because it’s just sand here.”

And Martinez said, “I’d rather have water to drink.”

Paxman knows the restrictions will leave a mark on yards across the counties the district serves.

“It’s horrible. It’s not something anyone wants to see. Our landscapes are going to suffer. We may lose a little bit of lawn. Hopefully our trees and shrubs make it through.”

Paxman said the restrictions could have been even worse, if not for an agreement to buy 14,000 acre-feet of water from the Provo River from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The first agreement of its kind for the districts.

As the district and counties deal with the current water situation, Paxman said they also have to look ahead to next season and, “pray and hope for the best but plan for the worst.”

“We have to have at least a good portion of drinking supply in storage at the end of the season,” he said.

Weber Basin had just 3% of its typical water storage last year. And they anticipate about 8% at the end of this season.

Paxman said there will be patrols on water usage and there will be enforcement of the restrictions. First violation is a notice. A $250 fine for the second offense. Then a $500 fine, and the fourth and final violation includes a $1,000 fine and they shut off your irrigation system.

Paxman noted that homes with a water meter will be allocated a certain amount of water a week and can use it as they choose.