Sacramento County recently celebrated the grand opening of the new River-Friendly Inspiration Garden. Originally a water conservation demonstration garden, it has been renovated to showcase River-Friendly Landscaping practices. The garden is located in the Laguna Creek Watershed next to the Sacramento County Water Agency’s Water Treatment Plant on Waterman Road between Rendham Way and Westray Drive, about 0.4 mile north of Calvine. The garden is open 7am–7pm daily. The Garden showcases River-Friendly Landscaping practices that conserve water, reduce yard waste, prevent pollution of the air and local rivers. Additionally, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It features beautiful water-efficient plants and native grasses that need less water and mowing than traditional landscapes.
Did you know that most water use—and water waste—occurs in the landscape? With the Sacramento region’s hot, dry climate and long summer season, more than 60 percent of a household’s yearly water use typically goes toward landscape irrigation. Of that, 30 percent is lost due to overwatering and evaporation.
The good news is that there are easy actions you can take that will both reduce your water use and create a beautiful landscape:
- Adjust your watering schedule at least every month according to anticipated weather.
- Stop runoff. If you see runoff, divide your total watering time in half for two shorter watering cycles.
- Check your irrigation system every month for leaks and misdirected sprinkler heads.
- Fix water-wasting problems in your irrigation system within 48 hours of finding them.
- Plant low water-use trees and plants in your yard.
- Replace or reduce lawn areas with low-water use plants. Native and Mediterranean plants are recommended.
By using water efficiently outdoors, collectively, there is a vast reduction of waste which goes a long way in the preservation efforts needed to retain water resources for a healthy environment and economy in the Sacramento region.
River-Friendly Landscaping Helps Conserve
