Anticipating a severe water shortage in late summer 2009, the city of Sonoma urged residents to cut their water use by 30 percent.

Landscaping uses most of the water consumed, and grass is especially thirsty, so the city launched an incentive program called Cash for Grass. Partnering with the Sonoma County Water Agency, the city offered up to $1,000 to help homeowners with the cost of replacing their grass with drought-resistant plants.

To spark interest in the program, City Manager Linda Kelly asked the nonprofit Sonoma Community Center to replace the nearly 5,000 square feet of lawn in front of its building with a garden.

Sonoma County Master Gardeners volunteered to design four separate garden themes. The city’s public works department helped remove the lawn and prepare the soil; landscaping firms and nurseries donated plants, rocks, and gravel; and volunteers helped with planting. By summer, the garden was abloom and, over its first full year, required about 70 percent less water than the lawn.

All told, more than 91,800 square feet of grass was replaced during 2009 and 2010, saving the city nearly 58,000 gallons of water.