Grass lawns on endangered list in California

Bans being reviewed
In Orange County, six cities including Garden Grove are reviewing artificial grass bans. The once-stubby turf has come a long way since its most public debut at the Houston Astrodome in the 1960s. Now it looks and feels more like the real thing.

Smith, who paid about $10,000 for her patch of fake lawn, joined with other homeowners to ask that the bans be overturned after their requests for fake-grass rebates were rejected.

Though the turf is pricey, homeowners who have it save money on water. An estimated 750 square feet of fake grass can conserve about 22,000 gallons of water per year. Smith, whose $50-a-month water bill is dwarfed by those of her neighbors, called the ban "stupid."

"Not only do you not get a rebate, you're in violation of a city law. And if you don't remove it, the city will have to enforce the ordinance," Smith said.

In addition to ripping out the fake grass, violators can also be required to plant a real lawn and could be fined if they refuse. But since the city is reconsidering the law, it has suspended enforcement.

The Garden Grove City Council has met several times to discuss the issue but has yet to lift the ban. Elected officials have raised concerns about lead content in some fake grasses and about whether the city's oxygen levels would drop if enough fake lawns were installed.

The debate over lawns also takes place in a part of the country where hot, dry weather often leads to wildfires.

Landregan, the landscape design program at UCLA, said most grass fires involve taller grasses. Lawns typically don't burn unless they are completely dead. She said artificial grass has good fire-retardant qualities.

How near is the end?
John Rossi, general manager at Western Municipal Water District, which services cities including Riverside, Corona and Temecula, agrees that the end is near for the traditional lawn.

His district recently adopted the slogan "redefining green" — meaning planting water-efficient gardens, not necessarily green ones. Rossi said he tried to sell the concept of "brown is beautiful" with little success.

When it comes to the disappearance of real lawns, Rossi said, "the only question is the time frame. When we talk about 8 million more people coming into California in the next 20 years and there's no new water supply, it's not a matter of if, but when."

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