NORTH OGDEN — Robert Bolar is willing to sacrifice his yard for a greater good.

As the drought across the state lingers on and on, the North Ogden man took a vow to refrain from watering his grass until next year to conserve scarce water supplies. He put a post on a North Ogden community Facebook page he administers, asking others to participate.

“Lawn Water Challenge! As of today my lawn water is off until next year,” Bolar said in the post. “If you find me watering my lawn again this year you can knock on my door and collect/demand $100 bucks! I would like to ask the North Ogden City Council to accept this same challenge at their homes.”

His aim, Bolar said, is to keep the water he would otherwise have used to keep his grass green in reserve for use by farmers and ranchers. He estimates he uses around 10,000 gallons of the stuff each time he douses his lawn.

“If I stop and a bunch of community people stop, we have some water for others who desperately need it,” he said. “I’m just hoping many will do the same.”

He tagged various city officials in the Facebook post, and at least some are responding. “Challenge accepted! I do need to keep some trees/plants alive… but no lawn watering,” posted City Councilperson Blake Cevering. “Let’s do it!”

Councilperson Ryan Barker, reached by phone, said he’s already been limiting watering to his garden and trees as well as an alfalfa field on his property. His grass, shaded by trees, has been managing without it.

Given the dry conditions, Pineview Water Systems and the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, providers of secondary irrigation water, called on customers earlier this summer to limit their lawn watering to twice a week. They may have to shut water service off earlier than usual this year because of limited supplies.

Bolar, a Realtor, aims to up the pressure. Grass, while it may be nice to look at, won’t fill stomachs, unlike crops that rely on water.

“I’m never going to eat my lawn,” he said. “But I’m going to eat almonds, walnuts and produce. Why not save it for that?”

Plus, he said, grass is resilient. Though it may turn brown or yellow, it will manage a season without water.

The push to conserve water seems to be sinking in, notwithstanding Bolar’s Lawn Water Challenge, according to Barker. “It is noticeable. … When you’re driving through the city, you see a lot of brown and yellow yards,” he said, indicating that people are taking lawn-watering restrictions seriously.

Likewise, residents in Layton are scaling back their water use, according to a press release from the city. In April and May, water use in the city amounted to 680.1 million gallons, down 12.2% from 775 million gallons the same period a year earlier. The temperatures were on par each period.

Use in June was up minimally from last year, even though the temperatures were about 10 degrees warmer, which, without conservation efforts, would have prompted heavier use.

Still, officials say residents need to keep up their efforts, augment them even. “With the current conditions, be reminded that we are watering for our plants to survive, not to thrive. Please remember the priorities of watering — first, food-producing plants then trees, bushes, perennials and lastly, the lawn,” said the Layton statement.

Weber County officials, meanwhile, announced they will scale back on use of water to maintain the ice rink at the Weber County Sports Complex as a conservation measure. The efforts will save an estimated 1.02 million gallons of water.