Utah Governor's Mansion trades its grass for native plants

Overview

Updated Sep 11

For years, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has asked residents to replace their lawns with water-wise landscaping. The grass outside his own residence stayed green. This week that changed.

Crews ripped up the park strip between the Governor's Mansion and South Temple and installed drip irrigation. On Friday, volunteers began planting more than 1,800 native, pollinator-friendly species in its place. A full-perimeter conversion of the grounds is expected next spring.

The timing is not accidental. Utah reservoirs sit at 50% capacity, 90% of the state is in drought, and the Great Salt Lake is near its second-lowest level on record. Residential lawns used 400,000 acre-feet of water in 2024, 97% of the state's municipal and industrial water use.

Why it matters

Utah reservoirs sit at half capacity and the Great Salt Lake nears record lows; the governor's own lawn is his pitch to save water.

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Key Indicators

1,800+

Native plants planted on mansion park strip

Water-wise, pollinator-friendly species planted Friday along South Temple.

50%

Utah reservoir system capacity

Down from 63% a year earlier and the typical September level of 59%.

27,000

Gallons saved per 1,000 sq ft of park strip removed

State water managers' annual estimate, cited by Slow the Flow.

97%

Residential share of Utah municipal and industrial water use

Over 400,000 acre-feet went to residential lawns in 2024, per the Great Salt Lake Strike Team.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Spencer Cox

Governor of Utah

In office; mansion grounds being converted

Abby Cox

First Lady of Utah

Leading the mansion grounds project

Tage Flint

Executive director, Slow the Flow

Directing the Week of Service

Organizations Involved

Slow the Flow

Nonprofit water conservation group

Leading the Week of Service and the mansion conversion

Utah nonprofit that runs conservation education and hands-on landscaping projects across the Wasatch Front.

Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management

State agency

Manages mansion grounds and the broader security master plan

State agency responsible for building and grounds projects, including the Governor's Mansion renovation and security work.

Great Salt Lake Strike Team

State advisory group

Provides water use data cited in coverage

Advisory body studying water flows into the Great Salt Lake and recommending policy responses to the lake's decline.

Timeline

March 2024 March 2027

6 events Latest: September 19th, 2026 · 1 month ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

March 2027
Full-perimeter mansion conversion expected
Upcoming Project

Governor's family plans to start converting the entire mansion grounds next spring.
March 1st, 2027
September 2026
Hyde Park City Hall conversion
Latest Project

Fourth and final Week of Service site scheduled at Hyde Park City Hall.
September 19th, 2026
Coalville City Hall conversion
Project

Week of Service moves to Coalville for another turf-to-native conversion.
September 12th, 2026
Native plants go in on mansion park strip
Project

Crews remove grass and install drip irrigation; volunteers plant 1,800+ native species between the mansion and South Temple.
September 11th, 2026
Slow the Flow Week of Service opens
Project

Volunteers add water-wise landscaping at the South Salt Lake Columbus Community Center.
September 9th, 2026
March 2024
State buys apartments near mansion for security
Land acquisition

DFCM confirms purchases of two of three apartment buildings on the mansion block; leases to expire without renewal.
March 5th, 2024

Scenarios

Mansion makeover spreads: Utah lawn-conversion wave follows

Possible Resolves by Sep 1, 2027

Discussed by: Slow the Flow leadership and state water managers in KSL and Deseret News coverage

The full-perimeter conversion finishes next spring as planned. The visible example at the governor's residence, combined with continued drought pressure, prompts more cities and utilities to offer turf-replacement incentives. Residential lawn area shrinks measurably as municipal programs spread.

Mansion conversion stalls; demonstration stays a one-off

Unlikely Resolves by Aug 1, 2027

Discussed by: KUTV reporting on DFCM's security redevelopment priorities

The perimeter work slips on schedule or gets deprioritized behind the security master plan, which includes underground parking and fence expansion. Budget realities or criticism of the project as performative push landscaping down the list. No measurable uptick in municipal conversions follows.

Drought worsens, forcing mandatory water restrictions

Possible Resolves by Jul 1, 2027

Discussed by: Great Salt Lake Strike Team and Utah Division of Water Resources

Reservoir levels keep falling and the Great Salt Lake's southern arm drops further below its minimum healthy elevation. The state moves from voluntary conservation to mandatory rules for municipal and industrial users. Residential lawn watering becomes regulated at the state level, making the mansion demonstration a talking point rather than the driver.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2021-2027

Las Vegas ornamental grass ban (2021)

The Southern Nevada Water Authority voted to ban nonfunctional decorative turf across the Las Vegas Valley, ordering its removal from medians, office parks, and subdivisions over the following years. The policy targeted an estimated 3,900 acres of grass that served no recreational purpose.

Then

The ban is projected to save roughly 14% of the region's water allocation from Lake Mead.

Now

It proved that a water-stressed desert metro can remove lawns at scale through regulation, not just appeals.

Why this matters now

Utah's mansion project is the voluntary, demonstration-based counterpart: rather than a mandated ban, the state's first family is betting a visible example can nudge the same behavior.

2014-2016

California turf rebates (2014-2016)

During California's record drought, state agencies and utilities paid residents roughly $2 per square foot to rip out lawns. Some utilities converted tens of millions of square feet of turf in a single year, and the program became a centerpiece of the state's emergency conservation push.

Then

Urban water use fell sharply across California as lawns disappeared in bulk.

Now

The rebates normalized desert-appropriate landscaping and became a template other states borrow.

Why this matters now

California shows the incentive-based route to turf removal. Utah is testing whether demonstration alone, without rebates, can move residential lawns that consume 97% of municipal water.

1979-1986

Carter White House solar panels (1979-1986)

President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar panels on the White House roof to model renewable energy and push back on oil dependence. President Ronald Reagan had them removed in 1986 during a roof repair, and the gesture faded from official memory for decades.

Then

The panels drew attention but changed little federal energy policy while installed.

Now

Their removal became a symbol of how symbolic gestures can be reversed, and the panels were later re-installed at museums and, eventually, the White House again.

Why this matters now

A leader's residence as a demonstration site carries both power and risk: it can inspire copying, or it can read as a photo op that gets undone when priorities shift.