Grass: The Natural Water Pump That Sustains the Water Cycle
One of the most underrated yet vital aspects of the water cycle is how plants and grass act as a natural pump, moving water from the soil into the atmosphere, ultimately contributing to rainfall. Understanding this simple yet powerful concept highlights why grass is essential in the environment and why removing it disrupts water availability, the climate, and long-term sustainability.
The following research from On Pasture, Utah State University Extension, and other sources highlights why keeping grass in the landscape is essential for water conservation, climate regulation, and soil health, which promotes using grass effectively rather than removing it and focusing on proper water management to maximize its environmental benefits.
1. Soil is the Largest Water Storage System
Key Insight:
Soil is the primary reservoir of water in the environment. 88.7% of all precipitation in Utah is absorbed by the natural environment—not lost.
The better the soil’s water retention, the more water is released later into streams, springs, and lakes, sustaining the overall water cycle.
Healthy soils with grass cover store and regulate water flow, preventing extreme fluctuations in water availability.
🌱 Grass-covered landscapes improve soil water retention, ensuring more water is stored and slowly released into groundwater sources instead of being lost to runoff.
🚰 Removing grass disrupts this natural storage system, leading to faster water loss, reduced soil moisture, and lower groundwater levels.
2. Grass Contributes to Rainfall by Releasing Moisture
Key Insight:
30-40% of precipitation comes from inland sources, including plants and soils releasing moisture into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration.
Healthy grass transpires water, creating humidity that supports cloud formation and rainfall.
If grass is removed, evapotranspiration decreases, potentially leading to lower local rainfall levels over time.
🌱 Keeping grass in the landscape helps maintain local precipitation levels, reducing the long-term risk of drought.
🌧️ Replacing grass with hardscapes or artificial surfaces reduces evapotranspiration, worsening arid conditions by decreasing humidity and cloud formation.
3. Removing Grass Lowers Groundwater Availability
Key Insight:
Grass-covered land promotes deep percolation, allowing water to recharge aquifers rather than running off.
Without grass, less water infiltrates the ground, which means less water is stored underground for future use.
Groundwater directly feeds springs, streams, and reservoirs. If less water enters the system, less water will be available for drinking, agriculture, and ecosystems.
🌱 Grass acts as a natural filter, allowing water to infiltrate and recharge underground sources.
💧 Well-managed grass helps maintain Utah’s water supply by promoting groundwater sustainability.
🚱 Removing grass leads to faster runoff and reduced aquifer replenishment, exacerbating water shortages.
4. Grass Helps with Carbon Sequestration and Climate Regulation
Key Insight:
Turfgrass and natural grasslands store significant amounts of carbon in the soil, improving soil structure and enhancing its ability to retain water.
The healthier the soil, the more water it can store—which directly impacts groundwater levels, plant health, and climate resilience.
Carbon sequestration from grass landscapes helps mitigate climate change effects that contribute to longer droughts and water scarcity.
🌱 Maintaining grass landscapes enhances soil carbon storage, strengthening water retention and improving resilience against drought.
🌎 Reducing carbon sequestration (by removing grass) worsens climate conditions, leading to more extreme heat and less available water.
5. Grass Can Be Extremely Water-Efficient with Proper Management
Key Insight:
Grass is not the problem—mismanagement of water is.
Proper irrigation techniques (deep, infrequent watering, smart irrigation systems, and aeration) make grass highly drought-resistant.
6. Grass and Plants: Nature’s Water Pump
Imagine the soil as a massive underground water reservoir—it holds an immense amount of moisture, absorbing rainfall and storing it for future use. However, this water does not stay underground forever; it must be cycled back into the atmosphere in order to sustain the environment.
Grass and plants serve as the “pump” that lifts water from the soil into the sky. Through evapotranspiration, they take water from the ground, release it into the air as moisture, and increase local humidity—helping form clouds and precipitation.
How the Grass Water Pump Works:
1️⃣ Water enters the soil through rainfall, irrigation, or snowmelt, becoming stored in underground reservoirs.
2️⃣ Grass roots absorb the water, moving it up into the plant’s structure.
3️⃣ Water vapor is released into the air through transpiration, increasing atmospheric moisture.
4️⃣ More moisture in the air = higher humidity and more cloud formation, helping sustain precipitation.
🌱This natural process creates a self-sustaining water cycle, keeping ecosystems, rivers, and groundwater sources stable. Without this process, less rain falls, streams dry up, and the land becomes more arid.
7. The Consequences of Dry, Bare Soil
When soil is bare, dry, and without grass, the water pump shuts off. Without plant roots to pull moisture from the ground and release it into the air:
❌ Evapotranspiration stops – Less moisture is cycled back into the air, reducing humidity and decreasing rainfall potential.
❌ Soil dries out even further – Without grass protecting the ground, the sun bakes the surface, causing it to crust over and trap water below the surface.
❌ Groundwater levels drop – Without plant roots to help move water through the soil and prevent runoff, less water is absorbed and stored.
❌ Streams and springs shrink – The less water that enters the soil, the less that eventually makes its way back into rivers, lakes, and aquifers.
🌎 In simple terms, without grass, we create a “drought loop”—where less moisture leads to less rain, leading to drier soil, leading to even less rain. This is why removing grass is a shortsighted approach to water conservation—we need it to keep the water moving through the cycle.
Photosynthesis and Rain Production
8. Photosynthesis and Rain Production
Grass and plants not only pump water but also drive photosynthesis, the process that:
☀️ Uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into energy, releasing oxygen.
💧 Releases moisture into the air, increasing humidity and cloud formation.
🌧️ Enhances local and regional rainfall patterns by recycling water into the atmosphere.
By removing grass, we remove an essential part of this interconnected system—less photosynthesis means less atmospheric moisture, less rain, and a weakened environment.
9. The Takeaway: Grass is the Solution, Not the Problem
🚀 Grass and plants act as a pump, cycling water from the soil into the sky and supporting rainfall.
🚀 Bare soil is a dead end for the water cycle—it dries out, doesn’t release moisture, and contributes to less precipitation.
🚀 Instead of removing grass, we need to manage it properly—using efficient irrigation and soil care to maximize both water conservation and water recycling.
Grass is not the enemy—it’s one of our most important natural tools for keeping water moving, maintaining rainfall, and sustaining the environment. If we want more rain, healthier streams, and sustainable water use, we need to use grass wisely, not eliminate it.
Grass is the Solution, Not the Problem
Grass is the Solution, Not the Problem
The research clearly supports
✔ Grass plays a crucial role in water conservation by enhancing soil moisture, promoting groundwater recharge, and increasing local precipitation.
✔ Grass helps stabilize the water cycle—removing it leads to reduced rainfall, lower water tables, and increased runoff waste.
✔ Grass does not waste water—people do. With proper irrigation and soil management, grass can thrive while using minimal water.
✔ The key is management, not elimination. Educating homeowners and landscapers on smart irrigation and soil care can ensure water is used effectively before it reaches rivers, lakes, or oceans.
🌱Instead of eliminating grass, we should embrace it as a vital tool in sustainable water management—using it wisely, watering it efficiently, and ensuring it remains a key part of Utah’s water cycle.