Few things are more sacred in suburbia than the green lawn, but homeowners willing to give up some grass for more nature-friendly landscaping can claim a chunk of cash instead.

In parts of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield and Hopkins that lie within the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, residents who install rain gardens to catch storm water or plant native plants along a shoreline are eligible for reimbursement of up to $3,000 from the watershed district. In a smaller program, Eden Prairie is offering a reward of up to $500 for trying the new landscaping.

Why such enticement? Across the metro area, watershed officials now agree that meeting clean-water goals will require small changes in individual yards as well as big changes in new development, said Doug Thomas, administrator of the northern suburban Rice Creek Watershed District.

Watershed districts have found that a monetary reward and technical support are the magic combination that pushes people into action, Thomas said. After starting its incentive program four years ago, Rice Creek this year is dangling reimbursement up to $5,000 to residents who put in its prescribed landscaping.

The Nine Mile Watershed District levied $100,000 to begin its incentive program this year. Individuals can qualify for up to $3,000 and local governments and businesses for up to $25,000.

Eligible projects include rain gardens, pervious asphalt and pavers, green roofs, cisterns and restoring stream banks with native plants.

Using landscape design to capture rain where it falls reduces the volume of water that must be carried in storm sewers and allows water to soak into the ground, cleansing it of pollutants, said Nine Mile Creek administrator Kevin Bigalke. "We are trying to replicate how nature would have managed water."

Slowing the flow of runoff to the creek will reduce flooding and give Nine Mile a more stable water level that promotes wildlife, Bigalke said.

To be eligible for reimbursement, projects must be within the creek watershed, well designed and functioning. Anyone who receives a grant must agree to keep the landscaping in place for at least five years and to allow it to be viewed in district educational programs, Bigalke said.

Rain-management case study

Kent Erlandson of Eden Prairie was among the first homeowners to apply for the Eden Prairie reimbursement.

Erlandson has a typical suburban lawn on a cul-de-sac. He began considering alternatives to the standard grass covering because he has two problem spots: A patch of grass in the front yard dries out and turns brown by the end of June, and a sloping back yard sends water down a hill into his neighbor's back yard.

He hopes to solve both problems and cut down on lawn mowing with rain gardens whose primary feature is a depression that attracts and holds water. In the front, he will scoop out the clay dirt that makes it so difficult to grow grass and create a hollow with enough slope to attract water from a gutter downspout to sustain deep-rooted native plants.

In the back yard, he will create a garden depression to take water from a basement sump pump. A hose from the pump now sends water into the grass, where it can roll down a hill, contributing to a perpetually soggy spot on his neighbor's property.

"I am becoming educated," Erlandson said. "Here I have an opportunity to figure out a way to put in the landscaping I want to do and capture some of the runoff from the house to water it."

After visiting the property, city environmental coordinator Leslie Stovring cleared Erlandson to submit a rain garden design. She will approve the plans, review copies of Erlandson's receipts and inspect the yard again when the work is finished before awarding the reimbursement.

Eden Prairie has set aside $2,500 from storm-water-utilities fees to reimburse four or five test projects this year, Stovring said. If the program is popular, Eden Prairie may expand it next year as part of a larger effort required by the state to manage storm water, she said.

Bigalke predicts a slowly growing appreciation for the new landscaping. "We are used to the green manicured lawn from curb to curb," Bigalke said. "But rain gardens are very ornamental, very showy. They are typically designed so they have plants that bloom throughout the year."

Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711