Cherry Hills Village Lawns Are Off Until Spring. This Winter Is About the Trees.

Between now and next spring, the irrigation system on a typical Cherry Hills Village acre can legally run for one purpose: an attended repair or maintenance check. Since October 1, Denver Water has banned grass watering and all spray irrigation, and that includes watering grass by hand. The only exceptions are written ones, such as approved water budgets for high-traffic fields and greens. In its October 12 supply update, the utility said the ban stays in place until its board decides how and when lawn watering can resume, which means sprinklers stay off into spring 2027.

For a typical home lawn, that's already settled. The trees are a different matter. The rules still allow them water, and a dry winter is when they need it most. On a property with mature canopy, the yard work that changes anything this season happens at the base of the trees, not on the lawn.

The Rule Treats Your Lawn and Your Trees Differently

The board resolution adopted August 26 sets up separate categories, and each one gets its own treatment.

The resolution gives public parks, school grounds, athletic and playing fields, tee boxes and greens as examples of high-traffic active-use grass. It also requires every irrigation controller to be reprogrammed to comply.

The resolution's findings put bluegrass and the tree canopy in separate categories:

"In contrast to Kentucky bluegrass, which is not sustainable in Colorado's changing climate, water-wise landscapes (Coloradoscapes) consume on average 66% less water on a per-square-foot basis... At the same time, it is important to maintain the tree canopy and vibrant parks as these are vital community assets."

In the same findings, the board estimates that about 5,000 acre-feet could be saved by stopping grass irrigation after September 30. Tree watering, meanwhile, stays allowed any day.

Why Spring 2027 Is Already Spoken For

Looking at the numbers behind the decision, it's easy to see why the utility isn't promising a return to normal next season. According to the October 12 update, the 2025-26 snowpack peaked on March 17 in the South Platte River Basin at 42% of normal, the lowest peak on record, against a typical peak date of April 26. In the Colorado River Basin it peaked on March 18 at 58% of normal. The resolution puts April-to-July streamflow in Denver Water's collection system at 22% of normal, the lowest in 110 years of records.

Reservoirs were 67% full as of October 12, compared with an average of 90% for that time of year. In August the figure was 73%, against a historic median of 94%. So storage kept falling through the late summer, even with restrictions in place since March.

The Denver Gazette reported on October 15 that officials expect storage could drop to 55% to 60% before spring runoff. The paper said refilling the reservoirs would take a winter with more than 150% of normal snowpack plus strong runoff, and that Stage 2 restrictions could come up for consideration next year. When the board voted, The Colorado Sun described the ban as indefinite through at least spring 2027, with summer 2027 rules depending on snowpack.

For a homeowner, that means the lawn goes dormant now and the decision about whether it comes back belongs to the board, probably not before spring. Tree watering follows the weather instead. Under the current rules, the next dry, mild day this winter is a day you can water.

Why the Postcard Reached So Many Village Addresses

Watering rules aren't the same everywhere in the south metro. Englewood, for example, runs its own two-day watering schedule. Cherry Hills Village has a much more direct connection to Denver Water. Denver Water's distributor directory lists the City of Cherry Hills Village, Cherry Hills Heights Water and Sanitation District, and Cherry Hills North Water and Sanitation District as Total Service distributors. In those areas Denver Water owns and operates the system, reads each meter and bills each customer directly.

That's why the City's own notice, posted September 30, is addressed to residents who get Denver Water service. It asks them to update their irrigation settings and pass the information along to their landscaping service. If your water bill comes from Denver Water, the ban applies to your property. The City also says Denver Water told it that it won't approve variance requests except to restore landscaping disturbed by Denver Water's own work, such as its Lead Reduction Program.

The Canal Already Shows What Thirst Does to Big Trees

The best local example of what this winter means for old trees runs straight through the Village. The High Line Canal Conservancy counts more than 23,000 mature trees along the canal. Cottonwoods make up about 40% of that canopy, and the Conservancy says many of them are nearing the end of their lives and are stressed by low water availability.

The Conservancy's replanting plan reflects the same priorities as Denver Water's rules. New plantings are mostly drought-tolerant species, and the Conservancy has paid for three years of watering, usually delivered by truck where there's no irrigation infrastructure. It's also treating trees for emerald ash borer. The 2026 work covers 73 trees first treated in 2024 plus 225 more, which brings its canal-wide total to 425.

Closer to home, the Conservancy's trail improvements page says the canal irrigation extension and tree planting along the Belleview-to-Hampden reach in Cherry Hills Village will continue in spring 2027, with more than 500 trees in the plans. That planting goes ahead on the same timeline as the private lawns stay dormant. Across the Village, the investment is going into trees and the water plan is built around them.

A Winter Watering Routine That Fits Inside the Rules

Colorado State University Extension's guidance on fall and winter watering covers the timing. Denver Water's resolution covers the methods. Put together, a routine that stays within both looks like this:

1. Wait for the right day. CSU Extension recommends watering during long dry spells only when the air and soil are above 40°F and there's no snow on the ground.
2. Water midday, about once or twice a month, during those extended dry periods, again per CSU Extension.
3. Use only the methods the resolution allows. That means a hand-held hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle, or low-volume non-spray irrigation such as drip. The resolution bars spray irrigation for trees, shrubs and perennials.
4. Keep the hose off the grass. The City's notice says to stop watering grass, including by hand.
5. Reprogram the controller, and stay with any test run. The resolution allows a system to run for repair or maintenance only while someone attends it the whole time.
6. Make sure the landscaping crew has the same instructions. The City's notice specifically asks residents to share the restrictions with their landscaping service.

What the Rules Cost, and What Help Is Free

Denver Water has been enforcing the ban. Its September 28 enforcement notice sets a single-family home's first violation at $500, with later violations up to $1,000 and possible shutoff. Multifamily and nonresidential penalties start at $1,000 and can reach $2,000. According to the Denver Gazette's October 15 report, Denver Water had issued nearly 300 citations and assessed $175,500 in fines since the ban began.

Water rates are also higher for now. Under the drought pricing the board approved April 8, residential Tier 2 use costs an extra $1.10 per 1,000 gallons and Tier 3 an extra $2.20. Tier 1 essential indoor use is exempt. The surcharge runs through April 30, 2027, unless the board acts sooner.

On the other side of the ledger, here's what Denver Water currently offers residential customers:

• Sprinkler nozzle rebate: up to $3 per head for rotary or high-efficiency nozzles, for purchases of 10 to 100. It's available once per residence every 10 years, and you have to apply within 90 days of purchase.
• Slow the Flow: a limited number of free sprinkler evaluations from Resource Central, including an on-site inspection, a custom watering schedule and efficiency recommendations.
• Garden In A Box: a limited $25 discount on water-wise plant kits during the spring and fall sales. Denver Water estimates each kit saves at least 7,000 gallons over its lifetime compared with the same area of Kentucky bluegrass.
• Turfgrass removal: the 2026 upfront discount of up to $750 through Resource Central has run out and applications are closed. Denver Water hasn't said whether it will return in 2027.

Denver Water's current rebate list doesn't include a rebate for converting to drip. If you want to get drip lines to your trees before the next dry spell, you'll be paying for that yourself.

This post is general information about Denver Water's published rules. It isn't legal or financial advice, so please confirm how the restrictions apply to your property directly with Denver Water at 303-893-2444 or through its conservation page.

Mature trees are one of the things buyers notice first on a Cherry Hills Village lot, and they take decades to replace. If you're thinking about how this winter's restrictions and a dormant lawn could affect when or how you list next year, I'm glad to go over it with you. Reach out to Kelly Mauro for a personalized consultation and home valuation.