City of Tucson Awarded $1.5M For Turf Rebate Removal Program

Tucson, Az— The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) has awarded the City of Tucson a $1.5 million grant for a non-functional turf removal rebate program to promote water conservation and efficiency as part of the City’s Drought Preparedness and Response Plan. Tucson Water will create the non-functional turf removal rebate program for both City of Tucson parks and private property owners. The program will be administered by Tucson Water’s Conservation Program and implemented in part with the Parks and Recreation Department. 

The non-functional turf removal program will have two components. First, 55,000 square feet (1.3 acres) of city park turf will be replaced with desert-adapted plants and trees, with an emphasis on increasing shade in low Tree Equity Score areas.  

The proposed turf replacements at City of Tucson parks include Ormsby (899 W 24th St, Tucson, AZ 85713), Mirasol (1100 E Silverlake Rd, Tucson, AZ 85713) and James Thomas (3200 S Forgeus Ave, Tucson, AZ 85713). The City of Tucson has targeted neighborhoods with tree equity scores less than 80 as priority planting areas. 

Second, Tucson Water will assist commercial and multifamily property owners with replacing a target of 200,000 square feet (4.6 acres) of turf with desert-adapted landscaping. In total, the program will save 29 acre-feet of water. The initial duration of the program is two years with a launch in 2024 and pilot through 2025.  

Reduced water demand decreases both potable and reclaimed water production, resulting in more water remaining in local aquifers. The turf removal program aligns with the City of Tucson’s long-term planning policies described in Plan Tucson and the One Water 2100 Plan.