Leaves are the biggest yard job of the year on the east side of the valley. Here’s when it’s fine to leave them, when they need to come off the lawn, and what each city does with them.
Can you leave leaves on the lawn?
A light layer, yes. Utah State University Extension says you can mulch-mow leaves into the lawn when they’re about 1 to 2 inches deep or less. The mower chops them small enough to break down. Once they’re thick enough to shade the grass, they should come off.
USU Extension horticulturist Taun Beddes puts it in terms you can eyeball: scattered leaves are fine, mowing them in place works up to about half coverage, and near-full coverage should be removed. The reason is winter. Leaves matted down under snow can smother the lawn, and you find the dead patches in spring.
Keep leaves out of the street
Raking leaves into the gutter is the one thing every city agrees on: don’t. Leaves clog storm drains and flood streets, and Salt Lake City notes they pollute streams. Millcreek asks residents to clear the storm drain in front of their home, Midvale has more than 1,200 drains to keep clear, and South Salt Lake won’t collect leaves raked into the street and may fine for it.
Where leaves go, city by city
- Salt Lake City: leaves go in the brown compost cart, and the city will drop off a temporary extra cart for free. Compost pickup pauses in winter.
- South Salt Lake: Fall Leaf Bag Program from October 1 to the end of November. Five free bags at City Hall, leaves only, 40 lb or less, set at the curb.
- Millcreek, Holladay and Cottonwood Heights: served by Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District. It offers an optional green-waste can and fall leaf drop-off sites, but stopped handing out new leaf bags in 2026.
- Murray: no curbside green-waste can. Use the seasonal leaf drop site (bagged leaves only), the city’s green waste trailers or a dumpster.
- Midvale: free leaf bags from City Hall in the fall and drop-off dumpsters for a few days in late November. No curbside pickup.
- Sandy: bagged leaves are picked up from the park strip on scheduled fall dates, different north and south of 9400 South. Keep piles at least 3 feet from storm drains.
Programs change from year to year, so check your city’s page for current dates. Each city page above links to the official source.
Or skip the bags
Bagging, hauling and drop-off schedules are why a lot of people hand this job off. Our leaf removal clears the lawn, beds and park strip and hauls everything away, so there’s nothing left at the curb. Send a few photos for a leaf removal quote or text 801-835-6776.
Sources
- How do I take care of my lawn in Utah in the fall? (USU Extension)
- The Green Thumb: fall leaves (Utah Public Radio, with USU’s Taun Beddes)
- Fall reminders from Waste and Recycling (Salt Lake City)
- Fall Leaf Bag Program (South Salt Lake)
- Leaf program (Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District)
- Leaf drop site (Murray)
- Fall Leaf Cleanup Program (Midvale)
- Bulk and green waste rules (Sandy)