CITY OF EL CENTRO Department of Planning & Zoning

Water

Efficient

Landscaping

For further information on landscaping requirements contact:

Department of Planning & Zoning

1275 West Main Street

El Centro, CA 92243

(760) 337-4545

www.cityofelcentro.org/planning/

Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation systems have the advantage of delivering water directly to the soil, avoiding unnecessary evaporation. They also emit water at a slower rate then spray irrigation, allowing water to distribute more evenly throughout the root zone.

Irrigation Scheduling

Scheduling watering to avoid the hottest time of day will reduce evaporation and will help you spot any problems with the irrigation system that

may arise. The City suggests watering between 7 PM and 7 AM during the summer and between 11 AM and dusk during the winter. Remember warm-season grasses (Bermuda and St. Augustine) become dormant during the winter and do not require daily watering.

Maintenance

Regularly inspect your irrigation system for broken or misaligned sprinkler heads, water runoff, or dry spots. When replacing components, be sure to continue to use the same brand and model to ensure constant performance. 2.13.12

Misaligned sprinklers are a common maintenance issue that can easily be fixed

Choosing the most appropriate sprinkler devices for your projects is necessary to conserve water and properly irrigate your landscaping.

Water Efficient Landscaping

Landscapes make up the majority of residential water use. Ignoring them may lead to unnecessary or ineffective irrigation, wasting both water and money. Additionally, state water conservation guidelines apply to commercial, industrial, and tenant occupied residential properties that provide landscaping greater than 2,500 square feet and homeowner provided landscaping greater than 5,000 square feet.

Below are a series of suggestions for making your landscaping more water efficient and reducing your water bill.

Landscape Design

The popular misconception of water efficient landscaping is that it lacks the vibrancy and beauty of water intensive landscaping. This is not true! Careful plant selection, design, and maintenance can make your landscape aesthetically pleasing while conserving water.

Planning It Out

Take time to plan your landscaping. Pay particular attention to group plants with similar water needs together to avoid unnecessary watering. Also take consideration where sunlight and shade are in your landscape and place plants accordingly.

Reduce Lawn Area

For many landscapes, watering grass lawns are the largest uses of landscaping water. Limiting your lawn to areas solely for recreation will decrease your water bill. Lawn can be replaced by other vegetative groundcover or non-organic ground cover like colored decomposed gravel or bark mulch.

Plant Selection

Choose plants that are suitable for our area’s hot summers and mild winters. For ideas, look around for landscapes in the City to see what plants grow well. The City of El Centro has provided a recommended plant list to help in selecting plants. It is available online on the Planning Department website in the “Efficient Landscaping” web page.

www.cityofelcentro.org/planning/

Mulch and Soil Amendments

Applying at least 2 inches of mulch to landscapes provides multiple advantages including reducing weeds, conserving water, moderating soil temperature, and adds beauty to landscapes. In addition to providing essential nutrients to plants, adding compost to soil improves its water holding capacity.

Irrigation Practices

Smart Controllers

Upgrading your conventional irrigation timer to a “smart controller” saves the average household up to 40 gallons per day or 13,500 gallons per year. Smart Controllers adjust irrigation run times to avoid watering during windy or wet weather automatically.

The use of mulch helps soil to retain moisture and control weeds.

Grouping plants by water use improves water efficiency and increases plant vitality.

Smart controllers automaticity adjust watering in response for weather