Lawn Limits Considered, Then Rejected In Colorado

DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers have backed off a bold plan to conserve water by limiting the size of lawns in future residential developments.

The state Senate voted Friday to change a bill that would have required new developments to limit the lawn area of its lots to 15 percent if they relied on buying agricultural water rights.

Instead, the Senate voted to study the proposal. Sponsors say the lawn limit would have been the first statewide standard of its kind.

Supporters of the bill said Colorado's booming population means the state needs to take drastic steps to prevent another Dust Bowl that hit southeast Colorado in the 1930s. Opponents said the requirement was too heavy handed on local governments, which control zoning and local land use.

LINK: Senate Bill 17