CSU Experts Guide Colorado Homeowners on Saving Water with Smart Irrigation

Have you ever stood on your porch in late July, watching the sprinklers hiss into the dry air, and wondered if you’re just wasting money on grass that’s already dying? It’s a question that keeps neighbors up at night, especially when the water bill arrives and the numbers feel less like a utility cost and more like a penalty for trying to maintain a suburban ideal that the climate no longer supports. Colorado State University’s Scott Curry and Lori Catalano aren’t asking us to give up entirely, but they are asking us to stop pretending that emerald green is the only acceptable color for a home landscape. Their message, delivered with the calm authority of people who study soil and water cycles for a living, is simple: embrace the beige.

It may feel like a hard sell to turn your vibrant yard into a patch of dormant, tan grass, but Curry, an assistant professor of landscape design, argues that we need to tweak our water use this summer rather than sweat over a few dead spots. He isn’t trying to blacklist the lawn. Grass is not evil. Cool green turf helps cities fight off the “heat island” effect, where excessive pavement radiates heat and makes places like Phoenix uncomfortably hot. The lawn has benefits, and it has a place. But saving even a little water on 1,000 square feet of grass, multiplied by the millions of homes across the state, produces real, tangible water savings.

If you’re stuck with grass this year, the first step isn’t a complete overhaul; it’s efficiency. Curry suggests starting with an electronic irrigation controller if you don’t already have one. You can find reliable brands like Rachio, Hunter, and Rainbird for about $150. Look for the “EPA WaterSense” seal, which ensures the device meets strict efficiency standards. These modern controllers adjust your lawn’s watering needs based on recent weather, using known “evapotranspiration” rates to tell the system exactly what the grass needs to survive. You can adjust the settings at midnight, sitting on your couch with your phone, without ever stepping outside into the heat.

Beyond the hardware, there’s the human element of irrigation. Some communities are already banning hand watering of lawns as part of progressive drought restrictions, making manual hose watering look increasingly inefficient. Curry notes that hoses are often left on all night, wasting gallons that could be used elsewhere. Investing in a hose timer is the minimum step, but a full irrigation audit is where the real insight lies. While some agencies have offered free audits in the past, hiring a “Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor” is worth the cost. They check to ensure nozzles aren’t watering pavement, that timers are set to the minimum needed, and that the system is delivering water where it’s actually going to be used.

The goal isn’t to create a desert, but to create a resilient one. CSU has waterwise demonstration gardens in Jefferson County and other locations at its extension offices, some designed as “low flammability” for wildfire interface areas. These spaces show us that beauty doesn’t require constant hydration. It requires a shift in mindset. It requires accepting that a few patches of less-than-emerald turf during a historic drought are not a failure of character, but a success of adaptation.

As you walk your property line this weekend, look at the edges where the sidewalk meets the soil. Notice how the concrete holds the heat long after the sun goes down. Think about how much water it takes to keep that strip of grass green against the odds. The beige isn’t dead; it’s waiting.