Why aren’t developers required to desert-scape in Castle Rock?

Developers are required to utilize low-water landscaping materials designed for our semi-arid environment. There are very specific requirements for landscape materials and irrigation practices and the landscape criteria manual (PDF) is updated periodically. For example, Kentucky Bluegrass is not allowed on common spaces and, in 2018, it is no longer allowed anywhere for new development in the Town - including on residential lots.

While we are high, mountain desert, we don't call it desert-scape. We don't even call it xeriscape. These terms give the idea of rock and cactus. While beautiful, this is not the native Colorado landscape. Castle Rock advocates "ColoradoScape," which emphasizes landscape design with a variety of colorful, low-water-use plants, accented by boulders and filled in with various organic mulch.

Updated Jan. 29, 2021

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1. Can we have a rain barrel on our property to collect rain water and/or sump pump discharge water? I thought rain barrels were legal in Colorado but have heard conflicting opinions locally.
2. Will pharmaceuticals (birth control, hormones, etc.) and other chemicals and organic material (such as blood) be extracted from our drinking water with advanced treatment?
3. Will the cost of our water go down with the implementation of water reuse, or should we expect costs to remain steady?
4. Why are we being forced to drink recycled water starting in 2020? Did I miss a Town vote on this? I do not want to drink recycled water. I'd rather slow Town growth than drink recycled water.
5. What is the source of the water in Sellars Gulch? It flows year-round through Festival Park but seems to disappear just a few miles upstream.
6. Why is Castle Rock Water asking residents, HOAs, and commercial customers to conserve more water?
7. Is our water bill among the highest in the nation?
8. Why aren’t developers required to desert-scape in Castle Rock?
9. Does the Town have a surplus of water it sells to other communities?