With climate change and drought continuing to strain our limited water resources, Colorado is undergoing a major transition away from cool-season turfgrass toward water-wise, drought-tolerant landscapes and irrigation systems. As state and local governments expand programs that incentivize and require low-water landscaping and efficient irrigation, the need for a well-trained landscape and irrigation workforce has become increasingly urgent to ensure water savings and to reduce water waste.
A Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Water Plan Grant supported a comprehensive evaluation of whether a statewide landscape and irrigation professional license is viable, appropriate, and supported by the industry, and how such a policy could help advance Colorado’s water conservation goals while supporting professionals across the state. This project included an analysis of state programs across the country, existing Colorado licensing models, industry needs, potential barriers, and considerations for how to create an effective license for the industry.
The following report examines key findings from this research and stakeholder engagement, provides recommendations for the design and establishment of a landscape and irrigation industry license, and proposes next steps to advancing a licensure.
