Colorado homeowners use more water outdoors than almost anywhere else in the country — up to 70% of residential water goes to landscaping during summer months. The good news: most of that is waste, not necessity. A healthy lawn and garden in Colorado's climate needs far less water than the average irrigation timer delivers.
Here are ten changes you can make before the season starts, ranked roughly by impact.
1. Upgrade to a smart controller
Nothing else on this list comes close in impact. A smart controller like Rachio connects to local weather data and automatically adjusts your watering schedule — skipping cycles after rain, reducing run times in cool weather, and optimizing by zone type. The average Front Range homeowner saves 30–50% on outdoor water after switching.
Multiple Colorado cities currently offer rebates — up to $200 cash back or even free installs in Lafayette and Louisville. If you haven't looked into what's available in your zip code, check our 2026 rebate guide.
2. Water early morning, not in the evening
Watering between 5–9 AM is significantly more efficient than evening irrigation. Morning watering gives grass time to absorb moisture before peak heat, while evening watering leaves foliage wet overnight — a leading cause of lawn fungus and disease in Colorado's climate. If you're using a timer, move it to morning. If you're on a smart controller, it handles this automatically.
3. Adjust your schedule by season
Most homeowners set their irrigation schedule in May and leave it alone until October. But your lawn's water needs in June are roughly double what they are in September. A simple seasonal adjustment — reducing run times by 20–30% in spring and fall — can save thousands of gallons without stressing your lawn.
4. Raise your mower height
Cutting grass too short is one of the most common mistakes in Colorado yards. Taller grass (3–4 inches for bluegrass and fescue, the most common Front Range lawn varieties) shades the soil, retains moisture, and develops deeper roots that tolerate drought. Raising your mower deck is free and takes 30 seconds.
5. Mulch your garden beds
A 2–3 inch layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and garden beds reduces soil moisture evaporation by up to 70%. In Colorado's dry heat, unmulched beds can lose significant moisture within hours of watering. Wood chip mulch from a local supplier is inexpensive — often free from tree services looking to offload chips.
6. Fix leaks and broken heads before the season starts
A single broken sprinkler head can waste 25,000 gallons over a summer. Walk your system through a full cycle in early spring — before the ground is frozen — and note any heads that are misting instead of spraying, spraying onto hardscaping, or not retracting. These are cheap fixes that pay for themselves immediately.
7. Audit your zones and run times
Most systems were programmed when the irrigation was first installed and never revisited. Lawn zones and drip zones have very different water needs — running both on the same schedule means one is always getting too much or too little. Separating your zones by plant type and adjusting run times accordingly is one of the most impactful changes you can make without buying anything new.
8. Skip watering during and after rain
This sounds obvious but a shocking percentage of irrigation systems run through a thunderstorm because the timer doesn't know it's raining. A basic rain sensor ($15–$30) shuts off your system when it detects rainfall. A smart controller does this automatically using forecast data — shutting off before the storm even arrives.
9. Consider drought-tolerant plants in problem areas
Replacing high-water-use grass in narrow strips, slopes, or shaded areas with drought-tolerant native plants (buffalo grass, blue grama, native sedges) can eliminate irrigation in those zones entirely. Colorado's native plants evolved for our exact climate — once established, many need little to no supplemental watering. Several Front Range water districts offer rebates for turf replacement specifically.
10. Check your soil
Colorado soil is often alkaline, compacted, or high in clay — all conditions that reduce water absorption and force more runoff. Aerating once a year and adding organic matter improves infiltration significantly. Water that absorbs into the root zone does the job; water that runs off the surface is wasted. A basic soil test ($15 at most garden centers) tells you what yours needs.