City implements new conservation measures

A water conservation plan is being implemented for city-owned landscaping that should help the independently run Yorba Linda Water District meet a state-mandated 36 percent water use reduction requirement.

The water district is responsible for enforcing conservation measures, which jumped to Stage 3 rules June 1, but the city, as the district's largest water user, “understands the requirements put on the district by the state,” noted an extensive report from three top-level management officials.

The report from Public Works Director Mike Wolfe, Community Development Director Steve Harris and Parks and Recreation Superintendent Mike Kudron outlines new conservation measures that will have a huge impact on the city's longtime lush, green appearance.

Most affected will be more than a half-million square feet of ornamental turf in street medians, nearly all maintained by the city's cash-strapped Landscape Maintenance Assessment District and financed by fees collected with property taxes and subsidies from the city's general fund.

Turf in medians represents about 22 percent of the landscape district's total turf but only three percent of the land area, with landscape district operations consuming about 6.5 percent of the water district's entire annual production, the city report stated.

Replacing ornamental turf with California-friendly, drought-tolerant landscaping would cost $2.7 million for design and construction. Some of the landscape district's benefit zones have reserve funds that could cover $321,700 of the cost, leaving some $2.4 million to be found from other sources during upcoming budget discussions.

“Nearly all of the ornamental turf in public street medians is Kikuyu grass. It's possible that after the water is turned off, the grass can lie dormant for the summer and return to somewhat of its original form with a normal winter precipitation level,” the Wolfe-Harris-Kudron report stated.

But watering trees in medians needs to be addressed “to avoid future costs, if the trees cannot survive without irrigation,” according to the report. Also, “It should be noted that an increase in irrigation is needed during the establishment process of new landscaping, including California-friendly, drought-tolerant plants.”

Another change will be cutting irrigation after measurable rainfalls. The city had been adjusting more than 350 clocks to zero watering upon a high prediction of precipitation – “in the neighborhood of 80 percent.” That will drop to 50 percent for a clock change, noted the report.

With watering limited to two days per week during summer, park officials see problems for “proper maintenance and overall park conditions.” They noted, “Lack of sufficient watering combined with regular use of parks and athletic fields could lead to diminished fields and potentially unsafe conditions.”

Plans include identifying small turf areas to replace with drought-tolerant plants.