waterwise The official official publication publication of of Colorado Colorado WaterWise WaterWise The
The Voice of the Colorado Water Conservation Community
www.coloradowaterwise.org
Water Conservation In Action
In this issue... Pg. 3 Garden in a Box Recap Pg. 4 Constructing Successful Construction Rates Workshop Pg. 5 Conservation Summit Program Pg. 6 Interview with Leslie Martien Platinum Member
Fall 2013
Photo By David Winger
s r o t i d e e h From t What a difference Colorado has seen in the last six months, starting the year contemplating watering restrictions and drought and winding up the year with catastrophic flooding in 17 counties. As water planners and conservation professionals, we need to be vigilant in assessing ever changing scenarios and staying on the cusp of cutting edge technology as we don’t know what the future holds. Mark your calendar for the Annual Water Conservation Summit to stay up to date on the latest technology, methodology and goings on around the state and country. This year agenda, like others, is jammed packed with quality speakers. This Summit is designed for water supply planners, environmental professionals, conservation professionals, elected officials, city planners, educators, green industry professionals, and green builders and developers to learn more about what is happening at the State and local level relating to water conservation and water efficiency. The Summit also provides tools and tactics for implementing a variety of water efficiency programs. Tom Ash, Western Municipal Water District Riverside, California, Rates, Conservation, Customer Service Advisor (Former Univ. of California Water Advisor, Irvine Ranch Water District Conservation Manager) will be speaking at the Summit on setting sustainable rates. Colorado WaterWise is offering a pre-conference workshop where Tom will do a more in-depth session geared toward conservation, water resource, policy makers and elected officials. Please join Colorado WaterWise on October 25 in Denver. Reach the editors at: Kim Frick: Kfrick@scwtp.org Ruth Quade: Ruth.Quade@greeleygov.com Leslie Martien: Leslie@aquacraft.com
Kim Frick Ruth Quade Leslie Martien
Colorado WaterWise Ongoing Meetings Colorado WaterWise Board Meetings Second Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon RMSAWWA Water Conservation Committee Meetings Second Monday of each month from 10:30-11:30
WaterWise is the official publication of Colorado WaterWise and is published four times a year (Mar, Jun, Sep, and Dec). Articles are due one month before the newsletter comes out. Officers: Co-chairs: Lyle Whitney-Aurora & Frank Kinder-Colorado Springs Utilities Co-secretaries Drew Beckwith-Western Resource Advocates & Alyssa QuinnPlatte Canyon Co-treasurers: Sarah Fleury-Eagle River & Ruth Quade-Greeley Board Members: The officers above and Becky FedakBrendle Group; Susan Beckman-Colorado Citizens; Dan Stellar-Center for ReSource Conservation; Alyssa Quinn-Platte Canyon, Amy Conklin-Barr Lake; Russ Sands-Boulder; Lucas Mouttet-Fort Collins; Lindsay Weber-Denver Water Newsletter Committee: Editors, Kim Frick, Leslie Martien & Ruth Quade Design: Rob Sherman Advertising Sales: Ruth Quade, Ruth. Quade@greeleygov.com To submit a story topic, email Kim Frick at kim@scwtp.org WaterWise articles may be reproduced in other publications with credit given to the author and ColordoWaterWise. Any advertisement of or reference to a product or service is not intended as an endorsement. This newsletter is intended to spark dialogue about various issues concerning water conservation in Colorado. The viewpoints of the authors are not necessarily those of the Colorado WaterWise.
Colorado WaterWise Major Sponsors
Growing Success with Xeric-garden Sales across the Front Range By Morgan Zeliff and Dan Stellar, Center for ReSource Conservation The Center for ReSource Conservation (CRC) is happy to report another successful year for the Garden-In-A-Box (GIAB) program. GIAB is an annual sale of professionally designed, low-water gardens with easy, plant-by-number, and plant care kits. GIAB is designed to remove the barriers to planting a low-water garden, and each kit comes with everything a customer needs to create a beautiful xeric landscape. Due to some key expansions and partnerships with water providers in several new locations across the Front Range, the CRC had its most successful year to date with GIAB. In 2013, the CRC offered three xeriscape gardens: two full-sun designs and one shade-tolerant design. A vegetable garden was also offered. Drip-systems and control clocks were sold to promote efficient watering of the new landscapes. While the variety and options for gardens were not as large as in 2012, the garden sales went much more quickly. By early May, the full-sun Morning Sunrise garden had sold out and the other full-sun garden, Western Horizon, went quickly as well. The CRC sold 1,260 xeric gardens and by the end of the season they had a waitlist of over 100 customers hoping to buy gardens in 2014.
Artist rendering of the Western Horizon garden.
The geographic distribution of the sales was notable this year. The partnering agencies for the program were from as far south as Castle Pines North Metropolitan District and as far north as Fort Collins. The success of the program across this geographic breadth suggests that a wide range of homeowners find xeriscape to be a viable option for their landscape. When asked about their reason(s) for purchasing GIAB, 27% of approximately 400 total respondents stated that it was to “beautify” their yard, while 22% reported that it was to “replace other landscape.” These responses indicate that xeriscape is considered an attractive and viable landscape option. Regardless of the reason customers purchase GIAB, they should experience significant conservation benefits. One of the strengths of the GIAB program is that it is a powerful way to connect with customers who may otherwise not be motivated to engage in water conservation. Another step that the CRC took this year, made possible by the work and support of Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, was to begin a multi-year experiment to measure the amount of water necessary to keep the three xeriscape gardens healthy. At Northern Water’s headquarters in Berthoud the CRC along with Northern Water staff planted nine sets of each of the three xeric gardens, 27 gardens in total. These gardens will be watered with three different set amounts of water after plant establishment over the next two to three years. By the end of the experiment Northern Water and the CRC will have much more detailed information on plant water needs and will be able to compare the water use data for the gardens to the water use in the nearby turf plots. This information will be a great first step toward answering the question, how much water does a xeriscape landscape use compared to a turf landscape? For more information contact: dstellar@conservationcenter.org, 303-999-3820 ext. 214 WaterWise
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
The 5th Annual Colorado WaterWise
Water Conservation Summit Pre-Conference Workshop Constructing Successful Rates: The Art and Science of Revenue and Efficiency
Thursday, October 24, 2013 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. AWWA Headquarters: 6666 W. Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO Presented by: Tom Ash
Western Municipal Water District Riverside, California, Rates, Conservation, Customer Service Advisor (Former Univ. of California Water Advisor, Irvine Ranch Water District Conservation Manager) Today’s water world has created a significant challenge for agencies with respect to recovering the costs of water and water service, while encouraging customers to use less water. Traditional rate design has not kept up with this “new normal.” Agencies now see financial shortfalls year after year as water use declines. Agencies struggle internally with revenues and conservation and externally with mixed messages to customers. The impact is a revenue/conservation/public relations dilemma that puts more stress on public agencies working to provide reliable water supplies in a limited water future. This workshop will describe a roadmap for developing a successful rate design that meets the agency financial needs, customer expectations and is delivering long-term water use efficiency and revenue stability at a growing number of agencies in the west.
Topics:
What is a successful water rate structure? The ramifications of rate designs Constructing successful rates: the art meets science From rate design to implementation – what it takes to make it happen Myth busting and a request for your toughest questions Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Space is limited so RSVP now at www.coloradowaterwise.org
Join us for our full day workshop!
2013 WaterWise
Water Conservation Summit
Friday, October 25, 2013 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A workshop featuring the best water conservation practices in Colorado.
Support • Participate • Network Spring 2011 Register at www.coloradowaterwise.org. 4
Water Conservation Summit
Police Protective Association Event Center 2105 Decatur Street, Denver 80211 (303) 433-8247
Friday, October 25, 2013 – 8:15 am to 4:30 pm
Register at www.coloradowaterwise.org Members: $200.00 Non-Members: $275.00
Welcome & Opening Remarks Frank Kinder, Colorado WaterWise Co-Chair
9:05 am – 9:35 am
Colorado Water Conservation Board Update Becky Mitchell, Colorado Water Conservation Board
9:35 am – 10:15 am
Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District’s Water Conservation Best Management Practices Toolbox Jean Van Pelt, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District; Tracy Bouvette, Great Western Institute
10:15 am – 10:45 am
Institutional, Commercial & Industrial Sectors: Tools to Make a Difference Becky Fedak, Brendle Group; Russ Sands, City of Boulder
10:45 am – 11:00 am
MORNING BREAK
11:00 am – 11:30 am
“SMART” Landscape Water Management Brent Mecham, Irrigation Association
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Long Term Study on Landscape Irrigation Using Graywater Sybil Sharvelle, Colorado State University
12:00 pm –1:15 pm
LUNCH (provided) Presentation of Colorado WaterWise Conservation Award
1:15 pm – 1:45 pm
1:45 pm – 2:15 pm
Social Media: Get the Most from Your Conservation Efforts Natalie Stevens, City of Greeley; Travis Thompson, Denver Water; Patrice Lehermeier, Colorado Springs Utilities; Joanna Nasar, Western Resource Advocates Digital Marketing: Connecting with Your Customers to Get Results Matthew Holmes, KMGH TV and Scripps Media
OUTDOOR WATER CONSERVATION
9:00 am – 9:05 am
MARKETING CONSERVATION
REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
Exhibits Open
8:15 am – 9:00 am
Teaming Up to Tackle Drought Jeff Tejral, Denver Water; Joe Kelly, City of LaJunta; Kristen Fefes, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado; Eric Moroski, Weisburg Landscape Maintenance 2013 Drought ~ Measuring the Impact Dr. Tony Koski, Colorado State University
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm
AFTERNOON BREAK
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Conservation Limits Rate Increases for Colorado Utility ~ How Demand Reductions Can Dramatically Reduce Capital Costs
3:00 pm -3:45 pm
3:45 pm – 4:15 pm
4:15 pm – 4:30 pm
WaterWise
Peter Mayer, Water Demand Management; Stu Feinglas and Christine Gray, City of Westminster Revenue Recovery and Conservation: The Art and Science of Sustainable Water Rates Tom Ash, Western Municipal Water District Colorado’s Water Plan Mike King, Colorado Department of Natural Resources DOOR PRIZES & CLOSING REMARKS Frank Kinder, Colorado WaterWise
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
interview
Photo By David Winger
An interview with
Leslie Martien
Water Resources Engineer, Aquacraft WW: Tell us a little about yourself. My parents moved to New Hampshire when I was about seven and I grew up as a country girl, participating in 4-H, showing calves, riding horses, and gardening. Shortly after arriving in New Hampshire, the little town we lived in cut off our water supply when they widened the road; my parents went through their first New Hampshire winter with no running water and two kids in diapers. One of my earliest memories was watching the installation of an artesian well in our yard. I moved to Colorado nearly 40 years ago and lived in a house with no running water for six years. So I’ve experienced what it’s like not to have easy access to water. I worked in the medical field for most of my adult life until I had the opportunity to return to school in my mid-40’s to get my bachelor’s degree in Water Resources engineering at CU, Boulder. WW: How did you get started in the (water, conservation, or other) business? It was a happy accident. Because of my years of working in medicine I’d planned initially to study biomedical engineering. I was interested in using my experience working with patients and my newly acquired skills as an engineer to design medical equipment. However, in one of my engineering classes I met a fellow student who was working with a professor studying soil moisture sensors. After talking to this professor and because of my interest in irrigation and xeriscape I switched to Water Resources engineering. The professor happened to know Bill and Peter at Aquacraft and he introduced us. After a summer of interning at Aquacraft I was invited to join them full-time when I graduated. WW: Regarding water conservation, what do you feel are the biggest challenges facing Colorado? I am continually amazed at the growth I see as I drive around the Front Range and the first question that comes to mind is “Where is all of the water coming from?” There are a lot of conflicting demands placed on a single resource with no easy way to determine how that resource should be allocated. Clearly water is needed to sustain life but beyond that its use for agriculture, recreation, and wildlife habitat, just to name a few, are vitally important as well. As the population increases and the resource becomes scarcer the discussions about its allocation are likely to become more contentious. Utilities also face a challenging conflict. They are in the business of selling water and yet they are the driver behind much of the conservation that has taken place in recent years. They must continually strive to balance the need for sufficient revenue with the prospect of insufficient supply of a resource that their customers tend to take for granted. WaterWise
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
Interview with Leslie Martien
“I’m an avid amateur gardener and love to try new and different xeric plants. It tends to result in an unplanned, rather chaotic looking garden but I get to find out what works well and what doesn’t. “ WW: What regulatory measures do you think will have the biggest impact on water conservation in Colorado? From the studies Aquacraft has done, we know that considerable inroads have been made in indoor water conservation with the introduction of high efficiency clothes washers and toilets, low flow showerheads and faucet aerators. The standards for these devices are the result of regulation and their use has been encouraged by utility rebates and giveaways. Unfortunately those same studies have shown that behavior hasn’t changed much. People aren’t flushing the toilet less frequently, fixing leaks, or taking shorter showers. Therefore, uses such as irrigation, that are strongly driven by behavior may require more regulation. What’s important is not that we regulate but how we regulate. If we give customers choices we’re much more likely to get buy-in to regulations. I think water budgets are a good example of this. They can be just as effective at reducing water use as day-of-the-week watering restrictions but they give the customer control over when, where, and how they use their water. WW: What technologies do you think will have the biggest impact on water conservation in Colorado? I think “smart” technology that gives us real-time ability to track our water use is the wave of the future. Being able to detect a leaking toilet as it’s occurring, knowing that an irrigation zone is flowing at a higher rate than normal, or knowing how much water the extra rinse cycle on your clothes washer uses would help to make all of us so much more aware of how we’re using water. Right now we get a bill from our utility at the end of the month and we only have a rough estimate of how that water was used. I can imagine a day where we have an app on our phone that allows us to check our usage regularly. WW: What has given you the most satisfaction during your career? Teaching. I’ve worked with utility staff in the United States and abroad to provide training on using our data loggers and Trace Wizard software. It’s exciting to see their passion for water conservation and for figuring out ways that they can use the technology to better understand their customers’ water use and to help their customers. When I’m out in the field I often have the opportunity to interact with water customers that have volunteered to participate in one of our studies and it’s always enlightening to hear their thoughts about water conservation and to see some of the creative things they do to save water. I continue to work with young engineering students at C.U. and talk to them about the real world of engineering and what life will be like for them after they graduate. WW: Beyond work, what other interests do you have? Passions, goals, missions? I’m an avid amateur gardener and love to try new and different xeric plants. It tends to result in an unplanned, rather chaotic looking garden but I get to find out what works well and what doesn’t. My husband and I are both scuba divers and I still horseback ride regularly. We have three beautiful granddaughters that keep us busy as well. WW: Any last thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? On-going education is essential. All of us have heard the conservation message so many times that it’s easy to think that everyone else has heard it too. But all of those new houses that we see being built – many of them are being occupied by folks who have moved here from parts of the country with a very different ethos. It is our job to inform them, teach them, and weave them into the fabric of our wonderful Colorado climate.
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
Flow Trace Analysis and Trace Wizard: Taking the guesswork out of conservation By Leslie Martien, Aquacraft, Inc. Engineers tend to like data, numbers, and measurements. Accurate, verifiable data can be difficult or expensive to acquire. We rely on what manufacturers tell us, what people report, and what we are able to observe in the field. But does the toilet that’s stamped 1.6 gallons per flush actually use 1.6 gallons? The answer is sometimes, but not always. That brand new CEE Tier 3 clothes washer is really efficient isn’t it? The answer is most of the time, unless it’s set on the heavy duty cycle when it uses 90 gallons a load instead of 15. Our campaign to get people to take shorter showers is working isn’t it? Maybe not. While there are plenty of people taking shorter showers they are offset by those who continue to sing ballads in the shower and the average shower length is the same today as it was nearly 15 years ago. Flow trace analysis, used in conjunction with the Trace Wizard graphical software program, can provide data that answers these and other questions frequently asked by those who work in water conservation. The data collected is based on a highly precise pattern of flow, obtained over time, from the main water meter of the house. The primary water uses, such as toilets, clothes washers, dishwashers, irrigation systems, and showers in the home provide very clear flow patterns that are usually easy to identify. Although flow trace analysis has often been used for large studies, many utilities have found it to be a helpful tool on a much smaller scale. It’s not uncommon for a utility to get a call from an irate customer because their water bill is unusually high. Sometimes the reason is easily determined and remedied but that’s not always the case. Sometimes finding the answer requires more data. The screen capture from a flow trace shows a ULF with an actual flush volume of 4.5 gallons and a leak that’s continuous. The homeowner thinks they have a ULF toilet and when they purchased it, it probably was. But at some point they had to replace the flapper, which closes more slowly than the original flapper and doesn’t seat very well and voilà that ULF has become a large volume toilet.
As with all technology flow trace analysis has its limitations; it can’t tell you which faucet has been turned on or whether the large volume of water is being used to water the grass or hose down the driveway. It can’t always be used to determine whether it’s a toilet, pool, or irrigation system that’s leaking. But it can tell you how much water is leaking, how frequently the toilet is being flushed and its volume, and whether the home has a high efficiency clothes washer. Real numbers and actual data are always better than even the most educated guesses.
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
interview
Photo By David Winger
An interview with
David Malcolm
High Sierra Showerheads, LLC By Frank Kinder, Colorado Springs Utilities
WW: Tell us a little about yourself. I have been involved in the water products industry since the young age of 11. That is when my father began Weather Tec, a manufacturer of irrigation sprinklers which were the state of the art at the time. On weekends and holidays, all of us kids were at the plant helping out. WW: How did you get started in the (water, conservation, or other) business? While in my early 20’s (1980-1982) my father introduced the first low pressure sprinkler nozzles which he designed to conserve energy and water without compromising sprinkler uniformity. The method of manufacturing the nozzles was original, their performance was ahead of the competition, and they were a big hit with farmers in the Central Valley of California. I assisted my father with the manufacturing and distribution. WW: Do you have a core product, market and niche? The unique method of manufacturing sprinkler nozzles that my father developed eventually evolved into the 1.5 gpm shower heads which I manufacture today. Although I promote the shower heads to all potential markets, our niche is institutional. That is because the shower heads are able to deliver an excellent and effective spray without the clogging that is typical of most low flow shower heads. WW: Regarding water conservation, what do you feel are the biggest challenges facing the industry? The biggest challenge is to design and manufacture products that use significantly less water, but that can deliver the same level of performance as the higher flowing products that consumers have grown accustomed to. Most people will not use water conservation products if the performance is not acceptable. WW: What regulatory measures do you think will have the biggest impact on water conservation? I hate to say it, but water is too cheap in most areas of the USA. People will think twice about wasting water when water use charges reflect its actual costs. WaterWise
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
Interview with David Malcolm “The biggest challenge is to design and manufacture products that use significantly less water, but that can deliver the same level of performance as the higher flowing products that consumers have grown accustomed to. “ WW: What technologies do you think will have the biggest impact on water conservation? I travel a lot and spend many nights in hotels. These days, all the hotels provide their guests with an update on what the hotel is doing to be “green” (i.e. reusing sheets and towels for guests staying multiple nights). To date, all of the shower heads at the “green” hotels I have stayed at are still 2.5 gpm. This indicates to me that the hotel management is reluctant to change the shower heads to 2 gpm or less out of fear that the guests will complain. Although shower heads are not the biggest users of water when compared to landscape irrigation, they seem to be the consumer product that most people are not willing to compromise the performance of. Perhaps water-saving showerheads will have the biggest impact on conservation as product performance improves and consumers begin to learn that it is possible to do more with less. WW: How has your company benefitted from the push for conservation? Our sales have doubled over the last two years. The push for conservation has played a big part in that growth. WW: What has given you the most satisfaction during your career? The positive feedback that I have received from satisfied customers. It feels great to know that your customers are happy with the products that you have developed while saving lots of water and energy. WW: Beyond work, what other interests do you have? Passions, goals, missions? My three daughters and four granddaughters keep me very busy! WW: Any last thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? Over the last century the USA has lead the world in the development of water technology products. The small businesses that started it all eventually became very large businesses and moved most of their production overseas. Our leadership role in the world is not sustainable if that trend continues. Fortunately, there is a new crop of small businesses like High Sierra Showerheads all over the USA, innovating new ideas and manufacturing their products right here. Water and energy conservation will reach unimaginable heights if we support these businesses and they are successful. David Malcolm is a new member of Colorado WaterWise and the inventor and founder of High Sierra Showerheads LLC.
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Spring 2011 Fall 2013
The Great Divide: A movie in the making By Kim Frick, Tri-Districts Havey Productions is working on a documentary film that will raise the public’s understanding and appreciation of Colorado’s water heritage while inspiring personal awareness and responsibility. It will be a discussion of the vital water challenge confronting the state and region, which is an increasing urgency to forge collaborative solutions for managing this most precious resource for a sustainable future. This 90-minute production, in association with Colorado Humanities (http://www.coloradohumanities.org/), will illustrate the timeless influence of water in both connecting and dividing an arid state and region from ancient Puebloan cultures and the gold rush origins of Colorado water law to agriculture, dams, diversions and conservation. The film will reveal today’s critical need to cross “the great divide” and replace conflict with cooperation. Right now the film is in its pre-production phase and fundraising for it has begun. The target completion date is March of 2015. Sponsorship benefits range from listing in film credits, promotions, packaging, and event signage as well as DVD copies and VIP tickets to a Gala Premiere event. Funding will come from a broad spectrum of public and private sectors that will also promote the film and plan screenings for their organizations and constituents. The film will be aired on Rocky Mountain PBS and distributed through schools and libraries in Colorado. To follow this process, you can like Havey Productions on Facebook and look for upcoming film trailers. For funding support and to get involved please email Alysha@haveypro.com. For more information on Havey Productions visit their website at http://www.haveypro.com/.
Beautiful, creative, innovative, and sustainable possibilities to imagine and implement! • A complete step-by-step guide to reinvent front yards and improve the planet, one lawn at a time. • Over 800 full color inspirational photos, rich illustrations, and informative charts and graphs. • An excellent resource to create beautiful, waterconserving front yards and gardens.
h Author, Sarah Carolyn Sutton, ASLA, is a Landscape Architect with over 30 years’ experience in eco-friendly landscape design and construction. A LEED accredited and Certified Green Building Professional, she advises locally and nationally on sustainable projects and programs. Ms. Sutton is a Principal with The Planning Center | DC&E, an ecologically-minded planning & design firm with offices throughout California.
Wholesale & Quantity Discounts available. Call Tendril Press at 303.696.9227 for details.
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
Grass or Gravel:
Is there a Better Solution? By Catherine Moravec, Colorado Springs Utilities We’ve all witnessed the unfortunate transformation of a sorry-looking lawn into an unplanted gravel landscape. “What an easy solution!” the homeowner declares. “No more water or maintenance. Problem solved.” It is true gravel doesn’t require water like landscape plants, which in turn places less demand on community water supplies. However, there are many potential downsides to rocking over a community. One downside is that when plants are eliminated, properties may become less valuable. Water conservation professionals should promote water-wise landscapes that include plants. Why? Even though landscape plants require water, they provide a myriad of very important benefits that increase our physical, social, psychological and environmental well-being. Over the past 10 years, university researchers have begun to quantify the true value of landscapes. Here are a few highlights: Quality landscapes add value to homes. Landscaping is a great investment. Landscape improvements yield, on average, a 109% return on every dollar spent. Other home improvements don’t even come close to the same return, with the average kitchen remodel returning only $0.67 for every dollar invested (J. Environ. Hort. 29(2):96-103. June 2011). Quality landscapes increase curb appeal. Homes with higher curb appeal ratings sell more quickly and for a higher price. In one study, an increase in the landscape portion of curb appeal from a “poor” to “high” rating resulted in 10.2% increase in residential home value. The landscape contribution to curb appeal was defined as tree cover, tree quality, grass quality, volume and diversity of foundation plants, plant maintenance, amount of soft and hardscape, and design coordination. When landscape improvements were coupled with home exterior improvements (paint, doors, windows, etc.) the average increase in property value was 17%. (J. Environ. Hort. 30(4): 182-188. December 2012). Landscapes make communities more livable. Trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses improve the environments in which we live. For example, they reduce reflected heat from concrete and asphalt, reduce noise pollution and improve air quality. Furthermore, people who live in communities with more parks, green spaces and landscaping have better social networks and experience less crime. (J. Environ. Hort. 29(2):96-103. June 2011). Because plants have such positive effects on our communities and us, it’s important to create beautiful, usable landscapes with water-wise plants and state of the art irrigation practices. We’re lucky to have many examples of water-wise landscapes in Colorado, from xeriscape demonstration gardens to personal residences. So rather than going from one extreme to another, let’s promote a landscaping approach that includes plants and uses water responsibly. WaterWise
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
Greeley’s Xeric Garden Featured on Garden Tour By Ruth Quade, City of Greeley The 20th Anniversary of the Greeley Garden Tour was held Saturday, June 22nd. Greeley’s Xeriscape Garden was one of the featured gardens. Hosting around 250 visitors each year, the Garden Tour was started by Northern Colorado Medical Center nurses to provide nursing scholarships for students at UNC. Each year at least two scholarships are awarded to nursing students to continue quality nursing in Northern Colorado. Several years ago, Greeley water conservation staff joined the Garden Tour committee in return for featuring water-conserving gardens on the tour. The xeric demonstration garden was designed on a ¾-acre site in 1997 outside of the in-town treated water reservoir. It was completely bluegrass and the neighbors in the apartments brought their dogs to the site to play and use the bathroom. So the task began to install the garden on a long narrow stretch of land along a busy arterial road. Its main purpose was to showcase xeric plantings as lush and colorful options to traditional landscapes or zero landscapes of rocks. The garden is home to two public art projects, 25 tree species, four turf grasses, and hundreds of shrubs, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses and annuals. The garden is also a Plant Select Garden and tries new plants and reports back to Plant Select on their hardiness and viability. Greeley’s Xeriscape Garden is constantly growing, changing and improving. This year, the Water Department wanted to highlight a few new projects including public art. Oasis, by Tim Upham was the first Art in Public Places project in Greeley. It was designed to pay homage to the ancestors who began developing the water system over 100 years ago. The sculpture fence celebrates our water history through a mesh depiction of the mountains with Greeley water pioneers painted on Lexan (polycarbonate resin thermoplastic). The art is inspired by a 1908 photo of Greeley’s water leaders. The fountain in front of the sculpture consists of twelve plates of varied depths, each representing a month, to represent the average amount of precipitation for that month. Historic photos and explanations also accompany the project. The latest addition is a Sculpture on Loan piece that was installed in 2011; it was chosen by the public to be purchased and is a permanent fixture at the xeriscape garden. Blue Gramma is created by Kevin Shaffer of Evergreen. Mr. Shaffer strived to create art that fits the environment and the piece fits well in the xeriscape garden. Blue Gramma is a 12 foot high powder coated steel depiction of a species of native grass. WaterWise
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011
While Oasis has been at the garden for over a decade, the hill beneath it was covered in wildflowers. It was proving increasingly difficult to keep looking great while eradicating weeds. During the fall of 2012, the hill was reworked adding large cobble to represent the river beds around the three metal troughs coming from the mountains. Seasonal employees and a few volunteers helped out with the project to transform the wildflower hill into an appealing grouping of groundcover plantings. Ground covers of different shades of purple, pink and white were planted in sweeping swaths to duplicate the fading hills that you see when you look to the west at the mountains. These new plants are shorter and a more attractve forground to the public art. This first year, the ground covers took hold and started to spread out. Next year, the plants should really take off and bloom. The presence of the City’s xeric garden on the Greeley Garden Tour and new projects on the site highlights some successes for Greeley’s Water Conservation Program. More residents visited the garden for the first time this summer because of the garden tour. Many residents commented that they noticed the beauty of the xeriscape garden from driving along side it, but never realized the full impact of the garden until they walked through it. Having the garden in a visible location illustrates that xeriscape can use less water and provide year-round beauty in the neighborhood.
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Fall 2013 Spring 2011