CENTER FOR WATER-EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "CENTER FOR WATER-EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING"

Shannon Simon
5 years ago
Views:

2016 end Watering landscapes uses the most residential and municipal water in Utah: more than we use to clean ourselves, our homes, our

Yards and gardens are where most Utahns can make the biggest reductions in their water use without hampering our quality of life.

local communities to educate Utah citizens and make a positive impact on water conservation efforts in our state.

projects in 2016: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Eagle Mountain City water conservation strategies USU Water Check Program WaterMAPS TM software

1 2016 end Watering landscapes uses the most residential and municipal water in Utah: more than we use to clean ourselves, our homes, our clothes, and more than we use for drinking or cooking. Yards and gardens are where most Utahns can make the biggest reductions in their water use without hampering our quality of life. Utah State University Extension has both research and outreach responsibilities, taking valuable research outcomes and working with local communities to educate Utah citizens and make a positive impact on water conservation efforts in our state. making an impact on water in utah The Center for Water Effi cient Landscaping has used funding to make progress on the following projects in 2016: Eagle Mountain City water conservation strategies USU Water Check Program WaterMAPS TM software Combinations for Conservation low-water landscaping book Native plant introductions for low-water landscaping in Utah Pinyon pines as a nut crop & low-water landscape plant Utah Public Gardens network Qualifi ed Water Effi cient Landscapers (QWEL) Training

EAGLE MOUNTAIN CITY WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES PROJECT PURPOSE: This project is a collaboration between the Center for Water Effi cient Landscaping (CWEL) at Utah State University and Eagle

Through CWEL, we intend to directly assist the city in water conservation through customized application of several Extension programs and public outreach efforts including WaterMAPS analyses,

Eagle Mountain City is one of the fastest growing communities in Utah and has a very well-defi ned water resource plan.

2 EAGLE MOUNTAIN CITY WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES PROJECT PURPOSE: This project is a collaboration between the Center for Water Effi cient Landscaping (CWEL) at Utah State University and Eagle Mountain City. Through CWEL, we intend to directly assist the city in water conservation through customized application of several Extension programs and public outreach efforts including WaterMAPS analyses, delivery of Water Checks, Landscape Planning and Design for public spaces, and information provision to citizens. Eagle Mountain City is one of the fastest growing communities in Utah and has a very well-defi ned water resource plan. The city plans to become a Utah model for effective community-wide water conservation efforts and is wisely seeking documentation of program effi cacy by establishing a baseline of current water use prior to program implementation. This project provides an excellent opportunity for USU Extension to work with Eagle Mountain City and, in the process, to develop a municipal case study of documented practices that will benefi t water conservation outreach efforts throughout the state. Faculty from USU have met several times with administrators from Eagle Mountain City to discuss the project and to formulate plans. A Masters of Landscape Architecture student from USU has accepted an assistantship to help in designing a low-water landscape for the area surrounding the city hall and the police department. This landscape will also be the focus of an educational program through its concomitant role as a demonstration garden. Plans are being made to conduct water checks in the city. To that end we have begun a partnership with BYU that will encourage their students to participate in this employment opportunity. Water use data for Eagle Mountain residents has been collected and a WaterMAPS analysis will be conducted to determine how effi ciently the citizens of the community are using their water. Educational material for city residents will be developed simultaneously with the projects already started to insure that material is focused on Eagle Mountain and is relevant to their conservation program. 1

WATER CHECK PROGRAM According to the USGS (2010), Utahns have the highest water use in the nation on a per capita basis and nearly 2/3rds of that water is used for irrigating lawns and landscapes.

The USU Extension Water Check Program is a Wasatch-Front based effort to assist homeowners, commercial property managers, and institutions with effi cient landscape irrigation management.

To date, the USU Extension Water Check Program has conducted more than 13,000 residential and 500 commercial, industrial, or institutional Water Checks in the state, improving the water effi ciency

3 WATER CHECK PROGRAM According to the USGS (2010), Utahns have the highest water use in the nation on a per capita basis and nearly 2/3rds of that water is used for irrigating lawns and landscapes. The Utah State University Extension Water Check Program is helping Utahns reduce their overall water use while maintaining the quality of life provided by beautiful landscapes. The USU Extension Water Check Program is a Wasatch-Front based effort to assist homeowners, commercial property managers, and institutions with effi cient landscape irrigation management. The program focuses on the application effi ciency of landscape irrigation systems and components by identifying and measuring irrigation system fl aws and ineffi ciencies. To date, the USU Extension Water Check Program has conducted more than 13,000 residential and 500 commercial, industrial, or institutional Water Checks in the state, improving the water effi ciency of thousands of acres of irrigated landscaping. Funding support from the Utah Legislature has allowed for the development of a tabletbased application to collect Water Check data. This support has also allowed us to convert the program s previous database to a structured query language database that accepts fi eld data from multiple users and allows for the generation of customized reports for program partners. the usu water check program conserves Utah s water Participants in Salt Lake City were found to be using 25,000 gallons of water for irrigation monthly prior to program participation. This was 8000 more gallons of water per month than the average for the city. Following participation, Water Check participants reduced their monthly irrigation volume by 8000 gallons, resulting in an annual savings of 47,000 gallons per participant. 2

WaterMAPS SOFTWARE WaterMAPS is a custom software application that has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of Utah State University researchers for the purpose of promoting urban landscape

OBJECTIVES: The mission of the WaterMAPS team is to provide technical assistance to water suppliers in support of urban water demand management, conservation programming, and planning and policy

4 WaterMAPS SOFTWARE WaterMAPS is a custom software application that has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of Utah State University researchers for the purpose of promoting urban landscape water conservation. The tool identifi es urban properties with irrigated landscapes that have the greatest capacity to conserve water. OBJECTIVES: The mission of the WaterMAPS team is to provide technical assistance to water suppliers in support of urban water demand management, conservation programming, and planning and policy decisions. WaterMAPS was developed as an analytic and public information tool to help municipalities, water districts, or managers of metered pressurized secondary irrigation systems better understand patterns of landscape water use. Increasing landscape water use effi ciency offers one of the greatest opportunities for reducing urban water demand in order to manage scarce water supplies in the context of aridity, drought and climate variability. PRACTICAL UTILITY OF WaterMAPS : RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) will use WaterMAPS to: 1) direct conservation efforts to the locations with the greatest capacity to conserve; 2) individualize customer feedback through data analytics; 3) track water use over time and customize information; and, 4) document conservation program effectiveness. Eagle Mountain City is evaluating their landscape water use on city property as well as by city residents. We are assisting the city with public outreach efforts and landscape planning and design for public spaces utilizing WaterMAPS analysis. We will develop a baseline of current water use by public and private landscape irrigators and to develop water conservation education materials. LDS Church is one of the largest property managers in the state of Utah. A WaterMAPS web application tool is being developed to enhance the LDS Church s ability to analyze their landscape water use: 1) on landscapes installed under the new design guidelines compared to traditional landscapes installed prior to the new policy; 2) to prioritize landscapes for remodeling; and 3) to determine current capacity-to-conserve on existing landscapes in order to improve operational effi ciency. 3

COMBINATIONS FOR CONSERVATION LOW-WATER LANDSCAPING BOOK PROJECT PURPOSE: There are many low-water plant books that list a variety of

However, many homeowners are often intimidated by the information and unsure of how to put them together.

plant combinations that have been successful in low-water gardens throughout the Intermountain West.

5 COMBINATIONS FOR CONSERVATION LOW-WATER LANDSCAPING BOOK PROJECT PURPOSE: There are many low-water plant books that list a variety of drought-tolerant plants suitable for water-conserving landscapes. However, many homeowners are often intimidated by the information and unsure of how to put them together. This books aims to give homeowners and designers the confi dence to create beautiful, low-water landscapes by showing them examples of plant combinations that have been successful in low-water gardens throughout the Intermountain West. The plant combinations are grouped together by water requirements and there are tips throughout the book about conserving water and effi cient irrigation. ABOUT THE COMBINATIONS FOR CONSERVATION BOOK: 4 Combinations for Conservation; Recommended Plant groupings for Low-Water Landscapes is now available as a printed book and will shortly be available in an on-line format. Full of pictures, each page shows an actual combination of three plants and the individual plants that make up the combination. It also includes detailed design and maintenance information. 166 pages.

NATIVE PLANT INTRODUCTIONS FOR LOW-WATER LANDSCAPING IN UTAH PROJECT PURPOSE: Landscaping in Utah should be both water conserving and

One of the best ways to approach a balance in these two goals is through the use of superior selections of native plants for use in low-water

Our goal is for these plants to be produced locally for use in Utah landscapes.

including: 1. Alice bigtooth maple (Acer saccharum subsp.

6 NATIVE PLANT INTRODUCTIONS FOR LOW-WATER LANDSCAPING IN UTAH PROJECT PURPOSE: Landscaping in Utah should be both water conserving and sustainable. One of the best ways to approach a balance in these two goals is through the use of superior selections of native plants for use in low-water landscaping. Our research is based on selecting superior plants and then optimizing propagation and propagation techniques. Our goal is for these plants to be produced locally for use in Utah landscapes. 5 During 2016, three native woody plants were approved by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station for release as commercial plant material including: 1. Alice bigtooth maple (Acer saccharum subsp. grandidentatum Alice ) This tree is characterized by a tight canopy, red fall color, and a small overall stature Hoodoo curlleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus Hoodoo ) This shrub is characterized by a very vertical form with small, evergreen leaves. 3. Semi-Gloss creeping Oregon grape (Berberis repens Semi-gloss ) This groundcover is characterized by a low stature and glossier leaves than the species. 3

In other words, it has the potential to increase agricultural production in the state without increasing demand on the water supply.

7 Roughly 80% of the fresh water in Utah is used for agricultural purposes. This project has the potential to conserve and enhance availability of water by encouraging the development of a crop for marginal lands that could be grown with minimal water resources. In other words, it has the potential to increase agricultural production in the state without increasing demand on the water supply. In addition, such trees could be used for low-water landscaping which would reduce the amount of water used in traditional landscapes and insure that our urban water supply can be stretched even further. The purpose of this research is to select clones of pinyon pine that produce large quantities of nuts, to graft such clones to seedling trees in a nursery environment, and to determine the potential for grafting superior scions to mature wild trees for quicker production. PINYON PINES AS A NUT CROP & LOW-WATER LANDSCAPE PLANT We have worked with Laporte Avenue Nursery in Fort Collins, Colorado to learn grafting techniques for pinyon pine. As a result, we have successfully grafted Pinus monophylla to Pinus edulis rootstocks and vice versa. Superior selections of Pinus monophylla in Box Elder, Juab, and Iron Counties have been located. Development of a fi eld orchard for pinyons has begun through the identifi cation of rootstocks at the University of Idaho for delivery in late Land has been identifi ed for a pinyon orchard in Richmond, Utah and in Juab County, Utah. Mature Pinus edulis trees for rootstocks have been identifi ed at the USU Botanical Center in Kaysville, Utah and will be grafted in the spring of Additional funding for this project has been obtained from the Utah Department of Agriculture and food. 6

PROJECT PURPOSE: Utah is blessed to have a number of public gardens offering demonstration gardens, educational programs, and beautiful retreats from our urban environments.

These gardens are an underappreciated string of pearls that stretch along the I-15 corridor from Davis County in the north to Washington County in the south.

8 PROJECT PURPOSE: Utah is blessed to have a number of public gardens offering demonstration gardens, educational programs, and beautiful retreats from our urban environments. Many of these gardens were created by water conservancy districts for the purpose of educating the public in landscape water conservation. These gardens are an underappreciated string of pearls that stretch along the I-15 corridor from Davis County in the north to Washington County in the south. To foster the sharing of ideas and information between gardens, USU Extension has sponsored the Utah Public Garden Network. This network continues to encourage garden personnel to meet and exchange ideas. It also provides a website where the public can go to fi nd more information about all the gardens in the state, rather than having to search out each garden individually. 7 UTAH PUBLIC GARDENS NETWORK A website highlighting all the major public gardens in the state has been developed and maintained. Twice annual meetings have been held with the network members to encourage interaction, sharing of solutions to common problems, and discussion on how to make these gardens more effective.

QUALIFIED WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPERS (QWEL) TRAINING PROJECT PURPOSE: A key to water conservation in Utah is to have an educated work force well versed in effi cient irrigation, landscape design,

In a true spirit of collaboration, the Center for Water Effi cient Landscaping, the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Water Conservation Garden Park at Jordan Valley Water Conservancy

9 QUALIFIED WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPERS (QWEL) TRAINING PROJECT PURPOSE: A key to water conservation in Utah is to have an educated work force well versed in effi cient irrigation, landscape design, and landscape maintenance. In a true spirit of collaboration, the Center for Water Effi cient Landscaping, the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Water Conservation Garden Park at Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District have partnered with EPA WaterSense in adapting the California-based Qualifi ed Water Effi cient Landscaper certifi cation program for Utah. The goal of this program is to educate landscape managers, contractors, and designers in the fundamental principles of landscape water conservation. 8 Since its establishment in 2012, the QWEL program has held multiple workshops and certifi ed over 200 individuals. It shows no sign of stopping with over 50 certifi cations in 2016 alone. The Utah QWEL program was re-certifi ed as an EPA WaterSense partner in 2015 In 2016 USU Extension provided the resources to bring a signifi cant portion of the training online to allow a broader audience. That goal is nearing completion and should improve both the quality and availability of instruction. A website is maintained by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District which allows the general public to fi nd landscape professionals who have been certifi ed through QWEL, thus extending this training to the public in general.

MASTER GARDENERS & COMPOSTERS

MASTER GARDENERS & COMPOSTERS Program Highlights Trained 42 new Master Gardener Volunteers for our 2 programs 240 certified Master Gardener volunteers giving over 14,500 hours of service Over 13,000 people