Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Utah State Prison's xeriscaping project is estimated to save millions of gallons of water annually.
- Two officers lead the redesign, replacing grass with rock landscapes.
- Inmate crews contribute to creative designs, including Utah landmarks and a Pac-Man design.
SALT LAKE CITY — Grass is disappearing at the Utah State Prison, replaced by thousands of tons of rock in a sweeping xeriscaping project officials say will save millions of gallons of water each year and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The redesign, now underway across the prison grounds, is being led by officers Brenden Ellison and Dan Rose, who were assigned to overhaul the landscape two years ago. They've spent months sketching concepts, selecting materials and supervising inmate crews who shovel, haul and place each stone by hand.
"The goal was to make it look nice, year‑round," Ellison said.
The old lawn created more problems than it solved, the officers said.
"There was a cloud of mosquitoes," Rose said. "You could see the voles running around all day long."
Water use was another concern.
"With all the effort we've put into saving our lakes, it only makes sense to stop using so much water here," Ellison said.
The new designs rely entirely on rock — a full conversion to xeriscaping, which requires the bare minimum amount of water and very few plants. Many of the layouts pay homage to Utah landmarks and symbols, including Goblin Valley, Arches National Park, the state outline, the state flag, the Spiral Jetty and the Utah logo.
"There are a lot of mountains, things like that," Ellison said.
The officers even approved a Pac‑Man design, a playful addition that doesn't quite fit the theme but reflects what they describe as the creativity of the inmate crews.
"We've mostly picked the inmates based on behavior," Rose said. "Is this a reward or a punishment? A reward."
The water savings, officials said, are substantial.
"This year alone, we'll save 3¼ million gallons of water," Ellison said.
That is roughly the equivalent of five Olympic‑sized swimming pools or 83,000 bathtubs.
Financial savings will follow.
"Around a couple hundred thousand, within the next few years," Rose said.
Every carefully placed stone, the officers said, moves the prison closer to its goal: eliminating all nonessential grass on the property. They estimate they are about one‑quarter of the way through the project.
