Ocean Friendly Garden
What does "Ocean Friendly" mean?
"Ocean Friendly" revolves around conservation, permeability and retention, all with the aim of conserving water while still creating aesthetic gardens.
Description of Project: This project will be designed to address runoff problems and reduce outdoor water usage by 20 to 50 percent by providing weather-based irrigation controllers (WBICs) and management solutions. The water savings alone will have a significant financial impact on high-end water users, delaying the need for new water supplies at a cost far below that of obtaining those new water supplies. The targeted landscape sites will include large landscapes, schools, parks, home owner associations, business parks, facility landscapes, street medians, and residential sites over 1,500 square feet that are the top water users in the area. This project will be implemented throughout West Basin's service area with a heavy emphasis in the City of Malibu where there are a significant number of large landscapes and an Area of Biological Significance. The project has several components including:
- Provide centralized WBICs to large landscapes (1 acre or greater)
- Issue "Smart" controller rebates for residents
- Conduct residential landscape workshops
- Create "Ocean Friendly" demonstration gardens
Objectives: The primary objectives of the program are:
- Increase water supply reliability
- Improve water quality
- Conduct public educational workshops
- Increase water awareness through water efficient demonstration gardens
Benefits: The benefits to this project occur in the following ways:
- Water Conservation (20-50%)
- Runoff Reduction (by up to 70%)
- Public Education
- Use of Efficient Technology
- Area of Biological Significance (City of Malibu)
Partnership: West Basin has partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to help implement this project. The Surfrider Foundation introduced the "Ocean Friendly" idea, which is the concept of using plants that are native to the Santa Monica Bay coastal region for residential and other landscaped areas.
Duration: 2008-2011
To learn more about the Ocean Friendly Program, contact the Program Manager, Gus Meza at gusm@westbasin.org.
OCEAN FRIENDLY WORKSHOPS
Learn how to make your yard ocean-friendly and drought-tolerant in one of West Basin's Ocean-Friendly Landscape workshops. Classes are held on a Saturday morning at a location within our service area. Workshops are FREE, but you must register. Visit www.sbesc.com or call Grace at the South Bay Environmental Services Center at 310-371-7222, ext. 206 to register.
The next Ocean-Friendly workshop is scheduled for February 13, 2010 from 9:45am to 1pm in Lawndale.