Northern Water provides $180K in conservation project grants

BERTHOUD — The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District will provide about $180,000 in grants in 2022 to water conservation projects in the region.

The money is from Northern Water’s Water-Efficient Landscape Grant Program, now in its fourth year. In total, the water district has contributed about $575,000 to 47 projects over the course of the four years. 

Grants have ranged from about $2,500 to $20,000, which is the maximum awarded, funding projects that have included irrigation system upgrades, transitions to water-wise plantings, native-grass conversions, incorporation of soil amendments, and more, according to information from the district.

“With the millions of square-feet of landscape that have been renovated, in combination with the countless residents who’ve seen the positive impacts of these projects, this grant program has achieved exactly what we always hoped it would,” Frank Kinder, Water Efficiency Department manager at Northern Water, said in a press statement.

Here are the 2022 recipients and the projects that Northern Water’s grant program is currently supporting:

Boulder County

• Arapahoe Ridge HOA in Erie, upgrading irrigation systems across 227,810 square-feet of landscape, as well as incorporating low-water plants in portions of its commons areas.

Larimer County

• First Christian Church of Loveland, conducting irrigation system upgrades across 40,000-square-feet of landscape.
• Harvest Gold HOA in Loveland, upgrading irrigation systems and applying carbon-based soil amendments to improve water infiltration and retention across 120,000 square-feet of its community parks.
• Lemay Avenue Estates in Fort Collins, converting 27,053 square-feet of bluegrass to a native grass blend and water-wise plants, as well as making irrigation system upgrades.
• Observatory Village in Fort Collins, replacing bluegrass and overhead irrigation with drip irrigation and native perennials and shrubs across nearly about 2,000 square-feet of narrow street-strip areas.
• Parkwood Meadows in Fort Collins, replacing 5,363 square-feet of bluegrass with multiple water-efficient demonstration landscapes, featuring a walking path and a Dog Tuff low-water grass area.
• Sunstone Townhomes in Fort Collins, replacing bluegrass and overhead irrigation with low-water plants and drip irrigation across 4,000 square-feet of narrow street-strip areas.
• Town of Berthoud, upgrading irrigation systems across 37,350 square-feet of its city parks.

Weld County

• City of Evans, developing 4,840 square-feet of demonstration gardens that showcase beautiful, low-water landscape designs and plant material.
• First Congregational Church of Greeley, replacing 16,400 square-feet of bluegrass with low-water garden beds.
• Highpointe Vista Metro District in Windsor, converting about five acres of bluegrass to a native grass blend.

The process to apply for the next round of grants has just begun with applicant consultations now through Sept. 30. Questions can be directed to Northern Water at 800-369-7246 or emailing waterefficiency@northernwater.org.

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