waterwise The official official publication publication of of Colorado Colorado WaterWise WaterWise The
The Voice of the Colorado Water Conservation Community
www.coloradowaterwise.org
Summertime Inspiration
In this issue... Pg 3. An innovative approach to utility rebates Pg 7. An interview with Larry Keesen: irrigation specialist Pg 11. A wacky approach to education Pg 16. Water conservation comes to the fair
Summer 2014
s r o t i d e e h From t When parts of the Front Range received a year’s worth of precipitation in a matter of days, the flooding of September 2013 devastated communities. The spring runoff this year has resulted in flooding in some areas due to unusually high snowpack and heavy spring rains. But, the long, hot, dog days of summer loom before us and Colorado utilities know better than to get complacent about their water supply. Denver Water has worked hard to get the state legislature to approve a bill that would phase out the sale of toilets and other plumbing devices that don’t meet a certain standard. The City of Greeley uses an innovative idea to provide low flow showerheads to its citizens. And as people in the water conservation business know all too well, conservation doesn’t happen without education. The OWOW Center has made it their mission to provide an interdisciplinary curriculum in Water Education and Northern Water has combined fun with technology to educate the public about ways to save water in the landscape. Learn why Larry Keesen has such a passion for irrigation and how he has impacted conservation and the irrigation industry. Read about the many gardening resources that are available to Colorado gardeners new and old orhow you can host a HOA forum in your community through DORA’s outreach program. Get informed, get educated, participate, and enjoy your summer! 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 Thursday of each month, 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 Alyssa Quinn-Platte Canyon & Russ Sands-Boulder Co-treasurers: Ruth Quade-Greeley & Dan Stellar-Center for ReSource Conservation Board Members: The officers above and Amy Conklin-Barr Lake; Becky Fedak-Brendle Group; Laura Wing-Thornton; Lucas Mouttet-Fort Collins, Lindsay Weber-Denver Water; Lindsey Bashline-Loveland; Amelia Nuding-Western Resource Advocates; Leslie Martien-Aquacraft, Inc.; Nona Shipman-One World One Water; Lyndsey Lucia-Northern 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.
Greeley Exchanges Showerheads at the Farmers’ Market By Ruth Quade, City of Greeley In 2013, inspired by another water utility, Greeley decided to offer a showerhead exchange to customers. Greeley has offered conservation kits consisting of showerheads, faucet aerators, dye tablets and educational materials since 1997. While these products were very happily accepted by customers, we never really knew if they were installed or just sitting on a shelf somewhere. The idea that they had to bring in the old showerhead was insurance that the new one would get installed. People couldn’t just leave the pipe open and sticking out of the wall – right? Flyers, ads and bill stuffers were designed using WaterSense publicity kits and graphics. A venue was chosen and showerheads were purchased. Rather than trying this as a stand-alone event, staff decided to do it in conjunction with the Farmers’ Market. This was a twofold benefit: customers buying local produce would probably be interested in water conservation and the Farmers’ Market liked having us there because it brought people in who may not have known about it. Showerheads were purchased from New Resources Group, AM Conservation, and Niagara. Most of the models were offered in either a white or chrome finish with adjustable heads, non-adjustable and hand-held. Customers were pleasantly surprised at the choices that were offered. Not knowing what to expect in terms of turnout, many cases of showerheads were purchased and nearly filled up a storage shed. The first event was held August 17 on a Saturday morning with another on the following Wednesday afternoon Farmers’ Market. When 102 and 64 showerheads were given out respectively at each event, we knew we were on to something. People were lining up before we could even get set up. We also offered the 1.5 gpm swivel kitchen aerator and .5 gpm bathroom aerators. Shower timers, pens and other SWAG were offered as well as a timely message regarding watering season, etc. Since the shower exchange was such a great success and customers were so happy with it, we also offered an exchange every month throughout the winter at the Winter Farmers’ Market and also at the Greeley Home and Garden Show. Over 500 showerheads were given out to over 350 customers. We didn’t limit how many showerheads customers could replace and those that thought they could only get one came back to subsequent events for additional showerheads. Only a couple of customers complained about their new showerhead and most liked it better. We will probably survey the people who took advantage of the program and see how they liked it. An additional advantage was that several landlords who owned several single family homes or small 8-12 unit complexes contacted us to see if they could participate in the exchange. Several of these projects are currently underway. Showerheads were recycled locally by a small business that separated the metal from the plastic and recycled as much as possible. WaterWise
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Water Wise Gardening Resources By Ruth Quade, City of Greeley Whenever you are trying to help a customer with their landscaping, it is important to explain to them that gardening on the Front Range or, in Colorado in general, is different than in other parts of the country. Many times transplants from back east or the Midwest don’t understand that and are shocked at how difficult it can be to grow things here. Along with the dry climate Front Range soils can be rocky and lacking in organic material. Customers also need to know that soils here are alkaline and not acid as in other parts of the county. Therefore, more care and amendments are needed when preparing the soil. It is also important that they look for books and resources written by Colorado residents for Colorado residents. Fortunately there are many good resources for new and old gardeners alike. The Colorado State University Master Gardener Program continues to be one of the best local resources. Hundreds of Fact Sheets, written by CSU professors and extension agents, are available to download or print at www.cmg. colostate.edu. The Fact Sheets range in topics from house plants to vegetable gardening to lawn care to Xeriscape. These are handy to use as handouts for presentation or for walk-in customers or even in training staff. From this website you can access PlantTalk Colorado™, find out how to reach a Master Gardener, get information on soil testing and much more.
Another great resource is the Plant Select website. Plant Select is a joint effort between CSU, Denver Botanic Gardens and the local green industry growers to introduce new or under used plants to the Colorado landscape. Some plants are native, but most come from areas of the world with similar climates, like arid regions of Africa, the Middle East or the steppe region between Mongolia and China. In addition to an extensive photo library of Plant Select plants, there are downloadable landscape designs and videos on the website. Three videos are also featured on the CSU site from Plant Select. Durable Plants for the Garden, printed for Plant Select’s first 25 year WaterWise
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anniversary, is now out of print, but the booklet “A guide to plants for western gardens and beyond…” can be purchased from the website (http://plantselect.org/) for a nominal cost and describes over 100 plants for western gardens.
This raised xeriscape garden is in full sun and visible from all sides. GreenCO is the umbrella organization of all of the green industry organizations. GreenCO and Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, better known as ALCC, have several publications to purchase off of their website. Free information and fact sheets are all available on the GreenCO website http://greenco.org/ and cover a wide range of topics such as planting trees, Emerald Ash Borer, drought and conservation.
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Planting for Bees in the Xeriscape Garden By Leslie Martien, Aquacraft I’ve always seen the plants in my garden as a combination of shape, color, form, and fragrance. I’ve happily shared them with the ladybugs, hummingbirds, spiders, dragonflies, occasional snake, and of course the honeybees. But I have to confess to not giving a lot of thought to which plants the bees needed to thrive until this year. My husband, who is not a gardener, spent several months this winter building a top bar hive which he installed in our back yard under the shade of a crabapple. http://www.motherearthnews. com/homesteading-and-livestock/keeping-bees-top-barbeekeeping-zmaz09onzraw.aspx#axzz32Bc3hBo9. Our bees were installed in the hive in early May. They have been busy ever since and now I’m on a mission to fill the garden with plants to feed them in the spring and throughout the summer. Certain plants seem to be bee magnets. Who hasn’t stood under a cherry tree in the spring that seems alive with the buzzing of the bees as they fly from blossom to blossom? The bright blue blossoms of Nepeta (catmint), Lavandula (lavender), Caryopteris clandonensis(blue mist spirea), and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage) are typically covered with bees and this combination of plants provides blossoms from late spring through the fall. Though rather small and inconspicuous, the flowers on Peking cotoneaster, Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape), and Euonymus alatus (burning bush), are rich with nectar and pollen. The field full of dandelions that I curse each spring as I watch millions of seeds float into the yard – well the bees love it. Although some flowers are favored over others, the real key to having a bee-friendly garden is diversity. The waterwise plant palette available to Colorado gardeners is large and growing every year. The Plant Select® program tests and adds more plants every year. Take some time to visit one of the many gardens listed in the newsletter and watch the bees. They’ll show you the flowers that they like best.
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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interview
an interview with
Larry Keesen
Irrigation Specialist By Leslie Martien, Aquacraft WW: Tell us a little about yourself. I’m a Denver native with a loving and caring wife, two children, and four grandchildren all of whom live in metropolitan Denver. In 1960, I started working in the family firm of A. Keesen & Sons. I enlisted in the Colorado Air National Guard in 1964, and our unit was activated in 1968 during the Vietnam War. I was stationed in Korea for almost a year and then returned to work in the family firm. In 1982, I started Keesen Water Management, a design and consulting firm. I’m an Irrigation Association Certified Irrigation Designer, Water Manager, and Irrigation Auditor. I was one of the founding members of Xeriscape and served for many years on the Irrigation Association’s Certification Board of Governors and IA Board of Directors. I have been a consistent force in Denver’s green industry through participation in the ALCC, Co-Chair, Colorado WaterWise Council Board of Directors, Editor of Colorado Green, Denver Water Citizens Advisory Committee, contributor to GreenCO BMP’s, and Xeriscape Colorado!, Board of Directors. In 1995, I authored “The Complete Irrigation Workbook”, and in Dec. 2013, a self-published 2nd edition was issued. WW: How did you get started in the irrigation business? I started working with water at an early age. I was 13 when I began hand-watering lawns in the Denver Country Club area. From there I started work in my family’s landscape & irrigation business, first installing irrigation systems and then designing systems. Liz Gardner has been my mentor when it comes to water conservation. WW: Regarding water conservation, what do you feel are the biggest challenges facing Colorado? Over 50 percent of the irrigation contractors (including some very large companies) and individuals who service and operate systems are only concerned about profits and don’t care about water conservation. As far as the irrigation industry is concerned, the biggest challenges will be changing how the industry thinks about water and how it may affect their livelihood. WaterWise
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Interview with Larry Keesen Over 50 percent of the irrigation contractors (including some very large companies) and individuals who service and operate systems are only concerned about profits and don’t care about water conservation. As far as the irrigation industry is concerned, the biggest challenges will be changing how the industry thinks about water and how it may affect their
WW: What regulatory measures do you think will have the biggest impact on water conservation in Colorado? Government agencies don’t have the wherewithal to monitor and enforce licensing. The biggest impact may come from requiring permits and/or design submittal of irrigation systems for approval before installations and a final review to verify type of heads installed and head spacing. Audits with catch cans are unreliable, and most auditors can’t identify what’s causing the problems. WW: What technologies do you think will have the biggest impact on water conservation in Colorado? In the future technology will result in more efficient systems that will be installed by robots using computer designs and intellectual reasoning to adjust the installation in the field. The efficiency of equipment will continue to improve and subsurface drip irrigation will become a more acceptable way to irrigate and save water. For more information on subsurface drip, go to my website at www.keesen.com . WW: What has given you the most satisfaction during your career? Thousands of irrigation system evaluations and designs have resulted in huge water savings and lower costs for home owners associations and commercial/government. Having my son John Keesen follow in my footsteps by heading up irrigation evaluation services for HydroSystems-KDI, Inc. has been very satisfying as well. WW: Beyond work, what other interests do you have? Passions, goals, missions? I always tell people that my work is my hobby and passion. For me, work is fun and challenging. Time spent with my four grandchildren and watching them grow is very rewarding. WW: Any last thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? If we want to save water with landscape irrigation systems, we must implement plans/regulations to control water usage through efficient irrigation design, proper installation, and water management. If we can do this, hundreds of millions of gallons can be saved.
Awards “Decade Achievement Award”, Xeriscape Colorado!, Inc. “Bob Canon Lifetime Achievement Award”, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado “Xeriscape & Water Conservation Award”, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado “Irrigation Water Management Grand Award”, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado “Xeriscape Honor Roll”, Denver Water “Edwin J. Hunter Industry Achievement Award” Ed Hunter was an inventor and entrepreneur who founded Hunter Industries.
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Senate Bill 103 — Phase-In High-Efficiency Water Fixture Options Legislation for Wise Water Use
Conservation is a critical aspect of maintaining a sustainable, reliable water supply for Colorado. Our state’s water providers have a proven track record managing effective conservation programs that use this most precious natural resource efficiently. But we need to do more. WHAT: SB-103 will save water by phasing out the sale of less efficient lavatory faucets, showerheads, toilets and urinals ™ and offering WaterSense-certified fixtures in their place. WaterSense is the water equivalent to the well-known Energy Star label. A WaterSense label certifies that a fixture has been independently tested through a public/private partnership to meet high standards for water savings and performance. WHY: As outlined in the 2010 Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) reports, Colorado is facing a water supply gap that could exceed 500,000 acre-feet by the year 2050. An all-in approach to meeting these demands is critical and a collaborative conservation approach is one part of meeting our goals. Benefits from the legislation include: • Providing a calculated savings of up to 40,000 acre-feet (13 billion gallons) of water per year by the year 2050, which could be dedicated to a variety of uses. • Reducing pressure to transfer agricultural water rights for municipal and industrial use. • Providing uniform water conservation standards throughout the state. • Providing no-cost water conservation savings for water providers. • Engaging the entire state in a water efficiency effort. HOW: SB-103 will have manufacturers phase out the sale of four indoor water fixtures in the state of Colorado. The legislation will include: • Definitions for WaterSense lavatory faucets, showerheads, tank-type toilets and flushing urinals. • A two year timeframe to gradually phase in sales of the defined fixtures. • A single report by manufacturers verifying percentages of sales after the phase in period. • No preemption of more restrictive local action. • A repeal of the Water Smart Homes Option requirements made obsolete by this legislation. WaterSense certified products reduce water use over the existing federal standard and are competitively priced, compared to their less-efficient counterparts. WHO: A coalition of water providers and stakeholders interested in the efficient use of water – including the state’s largest water utility, Denver Water – have been active and engaged partners in the discussion of water efficiency with the State. A list of current supporters is included on the second page and contact information is provided below. WHEN: Now is the time to act, as this proposal builds upon Governor Hickenlooper’s direction to develop a state water plan, the recommendations in the SWSI reports, and the “no and low regrets” options for water conservation.
CONTACT: Chris Piper Denver Water 303-601-4814 chris.piper@denverwater.org WaterWise
Julie McKenna Northern Water 303-539-1320 Julie@bbmk.com
Chris Treese Colorado River District 970-945-8522 ctreese@crwcd.org
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Se n a t e B i l l 1 0 3 — P h a s e - I n H i g h - E f f i c i e n c y Wa t e r F i x t ur e O ptions Legislation for Wise Water Use
SUPPORTERS: Alliance for Sustainable Colorado Alliance for Water Efficiency Associated General Contractors of Colorado Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado City of Aurora City of Westminster Colorado Basin Roundtable Colorado Building Owners and Managers Association Colorado Cleantech Industry Association Colorado Competitive Council (C3) Colorado Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC) Colorado Pollution Prevention Advisory Board Colorado River District Colorado Springs Utilities Colorado Water Congress Colorado WaterWise Conservation Colorado Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Denver Water GreenCO - Green Industries of Colorado Lakehurst Water and Sanitation District Metro Basin Roundtable Metro Wastewater Reclamation District Northern Water Northwest Colorado Council of Governments Water Quality/Quantity Committee Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority Plumbing Manufacturers International Pueblo Board of Water Works Red Thread Creative Group Southwest Basin Roundtable Sterling Ranch, LLC The Nature Conservancy U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Page 2 of 2 Gov/SB103/5-2014 Western Resource Advocates WaterWise
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The OWOW Center Brings Water Education to Auraria By Nona Shipman, OWOW The One World One Water (OWOW) Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship is located at Metropolitan State University Denver. Try saying that five times fast or you can just call it the OWOW (Oh, wow!) Center. The OWOW Center began in 2011 with a wacky mission: develop educated water stewards at MSU Denver through art, theatre, journalism, industrial design, math, science and any other concentration one can think of. Water is essential and is directly connected to every part of life in Colorado. Shouldn’t it then be more closely related to education? The OWOW Center aims to show students how water not only connects to their everyday life but also their studies and career choices. Three main goals were established at the OWOW Center:
To offer an interdisciplinary, hands-on, Water Studies minor for students from diverse backgrounds and in any major.
To provide co-curricular enrichment activities to the entire student population of the Auraria Campus, which includes MSU Denver, the University of Colorado-Denver, and the Community College of Denver.
To enhance water stewardship on and beyond campus for the effective use of water resources.
The OWOW Water Studies minor is (almost) one of a kind. With the exception of a similar program in Ireland, no other institution in the United States offers a totally interdisciplinary water studies minor to university students. Since the OWOW Center was established, over 25 students have applied the Water Studies minor to their major ranging from psychology to business administration and hydrology to criminal justice. Students are required to take three core courses, six elective credits and are encouraged to complete an internship or capstone project. The required core courses provide a student with the knowledge to build their interest in water while the six elective credits allow a student to be creative with the direction they choose to take their interest in water.
The OWOW Center began in 2011 with a wacky mission: develop educated water stewards at MSU Denver through art, theatre, journalism, industrial design, math, science and any other concentration one can think of. WaterWise
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One of the three required core courses is Water Conflict, a Speech Communication course. This Spring 2014 semester, the Water Conflict course was brand new and team-taught by MSU Denver’s Dr. Christine Cooper and Carla Schnikter from Leadership Beyond. Mitchell Dorsk, a student in the new Water Conflict course, enjoys the class and says, “I like the format of the class and that it is based in dialogue interaction. I like that the class topics touch on Colorado River conflict. It is not a new subject to me but I’ve learned a lot more about the reasoning behind the water conflict. This is a really good class for new students wanting to learn more.” In addition to the core courses, the OWOW Center helps develop other new water courses for students such as “Reporting on Water Policy” taught by Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, Director of Marketing and PR for the Denver Botanic Gardens. Students in the class are given the tools to find, research, and execute a successful water story through Riley-Chetwynd’s expertise on the matter. This class will return in the Fall 2014 semester as well as a class focused on the communities around acequias in southwest Colorado.
The OWOW Center’s second goal is to provide educational opportunities for all three schools on Auraria Campus. This is accomplished through the many educational events the OWOW Center helps to organize. In the Spring 2014 semester the OWOW Center was a part of a water scarcity panel event, a water resource networking event with AWRA, an eco chalk art contest and an Earth Month kickoff symposium just to name a few. There is also a triinstitutional water studies students’ club named W.A.S.S.U.P. which meets every two weeks with community speakers and plans activities such as a sustainable New Belgium Tour and a Cherry Creek Clean Up. The final goal at the OWOW Center is to enhance water stewardship beyond Auraria Campus. This is fulfilled through internships, experiential learning opportunities, and the endless partnering with organizations within the water community. MSU Denver Water Studies minors have successfully completed internships at places like Aurora Water, the Colorado Water Trust, and Conservation Colorado. Looking for a sharp intern with a few water classes under their belt? Contact the OWOW Center! A new area of exploration for OWOW is youth education. This May, Denver Water, Suburban Distributors of Denver Water, and the OWOW Center are hosting the very first Denver Metro Water Festival for sixth grade students in the area. There will be almost 850 sixth graders attending a variety of the thirty water lessons on site at the festival. Follow One World One Water on Facebook and Twitter to catch all the action on this very exciting new event.
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COLORADO GARDENS TO CHECK OUT THIS SUMMER!
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Legislative Watch By Ann Baker and Lindsay Weber, Denver Water Colorado’s population is expected to double by 2050, stressing the state’s already tapped water resources. Recently passed legislation will help combat that upcoming water shortage to the tune of 13 billion gallons per year. In April, the state legislature approved a bill led by Denver Water that will phase out the sale of toilets, urinals, lavatory faucets and showerheads that aren’t certified by the federal WaterSense program. Allowing only efficient fixtures in the marketplace is expected to save the state roughly 13 billion gallons of water per year by 2050. The bill, which, at press time, was waiting for the governor’s signature, benefits everyone in Colorado. Rural communities will have less pressure to transfer agricultural water rights, and customers will use less water at no cost to municipal coffers. (Denver Water’s rebate program is not going away because of this legislation.) The bill also follows in the footsteps of similar legislation in other states, such as California, Texas and Georgia. Changing the marketplace WaterSense, the water equivalent to the well-known Energy Star label, certifies that a fixture has been independently tested through a public/private partnership to meet high standards for performance. WaterSense labeled products come in a wide range of prices and are competitive with conventional fixtures. These efficient fixtures help customers save not only on their water bill, but also on their wastewater and energy bills. This bill does not impose lifestyle or behavior changes or force people to replace their existing fixtures. Instead, it mandates that new fixtures sold in Colorado are water-efficient and high-performing. Evolution of Senate Bill 103 Denver Water played a key role in researching, developing and promoting this bill. Employees from Denver Water’s public affairs, planning and legal departments began working on the bill more than a year ago. They met with more than 3,800 people at more than 160 meetings, gaining the support of 34 stakeholders, including professionals from water utilities, local businesses, the plumbing industry, the landscape industry, environmental groups and state water committees. “Denver Water has been seen as a leader in water conservation,” said Melissa Elliott, assistant director of public affairs at Denver Water. “We had the ability to develop a broad and aggressive coalition of support for this effort.” The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lucia Guzman (D-Denver) in January 2014. It passed the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee with a 5-2 vote, and passed the full Senate on a 19-16 vote. In March 2014, Rep. Randy Fischer (D-Fort Collins) brought SB-103 before the House Transportation and Energy Committee, where it passed 8-4. After a debate in the House that centered on future water demands and government oversight, the bill passed the House on April 4 with a vote of 35-28. Once the governor signs it into law, the phase out of inefficient fixtures in Colorado will be complete by 2016. “It’s a statewide initiative that recognizes the importance of water efficiency,” Elliott said. “It’s a relatively easy step in the right direction, with no additional cost to customers. There is broad statewide support, and it underscores the importance of changing the market to water-efficient products.” WaterWise
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Rep. Randy Fischer, House sponsor of Senate Bill 103, discusses the legislation at the podium during the bill’s second reading in April. Spring 2011 Summer 2014
Northern Water’s Conservation Garden Fair By Zach Allen, Communication Specialist at Northern Water Northern Water held its third annual Conservation Gardens Fair on Saturday, May 17, in Berthoud. The community event attracted nearly 400 people from throughout northern Colorado who were interested in new irrigation technologies and in learning about water saving landscapes. “This was a fantastic community event and we were excited to bring experts in the field of water conservation,” said Lyndsey Lucia, Conservation Gardens Field Tech. “This was an ideal opportunity to learn about water conservation and creating water-smart landscapes.” How-to seminars included information on improving efficiency on irrigation systems, permaculture, turf selection, selecting water wise woody plants, landscape design, efficient irrigation and hose-end drip irrigation. Fair-goers also had the opportunity to tour Northern Water’s Conservation Gardens. The Conservation Gardens contain more than 700 plants and 60 turf grasses that thrive in Colorado’s semi-arid climate and use less water. “We encourage people to visit the Conservation Gardens,” said Brian Werner, Public Information Officer. “The gardens and the adjoining Colorado-Big Thompson Project Interpretive Area are free and open to the public every day of the year during daylight hours.”
“This was a fantastic community event and we were excited to bring experts in the field of water conservation,”
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The Conservation Gardens Tours also showcased Plant Select plants. Plant Select plants thrive in the unique and variable conditions of Rocky Mountain gardens. Everyone who attended the fair also received a free Plant Select perennial. Plant Select is a cooperative program administered by Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University in concert with horticulturists and nurseries throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. The purpose of Plant Select is to seek out, identify and distribute the best plants for landscapes and gardens from the intermountain region to the high plains. There were many fun activities for the entire family. Entertainment for children included the Passport to Water Conservation, Children’s Potting Bench, Touch a Truck, Rain Maker Target Shoot, the Mystery Faucet and plenty of prizes. The fair included information and expert resources from the City of Loveland, Colorado Vista Landscape Design, Colorado State University Extension, Plant Select and Master Gardeners. Local vendors including DBC Irrigation Supply, Ace Hardware and Gulley’s Greenhouse also attended the fair. Northern Water is a public agency created in 1937 to contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to build the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which collects water on the West Slope and delivers it to the East Slope through a 13-mile tunnel that runs underneath Rocky Mountain National Park. Northern Water’s boundaries encompass portions of eight counties, 640,000 irrigated acres and a population of about 860,000 people. A top priority for Northern Water is the conservation of the region’s water supply and the fair was just a small part of their efforts at reducing water use throughout its boundaries.
For more information on Northern Water, the Conservation Garden, summer tours and more, visit www.northernwater.org.
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Outreach on Water Issues and Conservation throughout Colorado Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs’ Division of Real Estate offers to Homeowners Associations By Frank Kinder, Colorado Springs Utilities The HOA Information and Resource Center is part of the Division of Real Estate (DRE), under the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The HOA Office acts as a clearing house for information concerning the basic rights and duties of homeowners, declarants and homeowner associations under the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA). Colorado WaterWise recently met with DRE’s Information Officers and Managers about their HOA outreach to clarify conservation guidance and enforcement. The DRE oversees 9,000 HOAs managing 900,000 units. As drought and water restrictions become more common, landscape solutions that serve multiple needs are required. Managing water demand, maintaining home value, and meeting utility limitations can be challenging, and recent changes to HOA laws help bridge these needs. To help communities, HOAs and home owners, understand rules and opportunities around water conservation in neighborhoods, and rules governed by the State, the DORA’s DRE HOA Information and Resource Center will be presenting HOA forums for the residents of Colorado communities on issues that affect water usage in individual communities. Topics include water conservation, Xeriscaping and quality water services. As outreach to Colorado communities, the HOA Information Officer will be present to discuss the role and function of this office, provide information regarding HOA water issues and concerns, and listen to consumers and professionals regarding HOA’s in your community. Held in conjunction with local utilities, these forums serve to engage and enlighten communities about ways to save water in personal and community landscapes while improving home value and landscape functionality. Local utility representatives are usually invited to share their efficiency programs, such as rebates, garden classes, Garden-In-a-Box options, or landscape ordinances. Owners and managers get updates on rules and ways to save water in their communities. Existing forums can be found here, and the DRE is actively seeking additional locations to share this information, found here. Email cynthia.aguilar@state.co.us to reserve a spot. To learn more or host an event in your area, contact: Gary Kujawski, HOA Information Officer HOA Information and Resource Center / Subdivisions / Timeshares Division of Real Estate - Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies 1560 Broadway, Suite 925, Denver, CO 80202 P 303.894.2355 Fax 303-894-2683 gary.kujawski@state.co.us www.dora.state.co.us
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