An alternative to San Luis Valley water plan

Second, the county should create a team of landscape professionals to develop a county-wide xeriscape plan. The plan should include the removal of all irrigated plants (except playing fields) from public properties within the county. The plants should be replaced with native or other low-water-use plants that can be adapted to the Front Range environment. The team should conduct outreach to homeowners where the principles and goals of xeriscape are introduced during block-by-block meetings. Heavy subsidies should be offered to help persuade residents to convert their water-thirsty yards to low-water-use native or other adapted plantings. The actual removal and installation work can be conducted by vetted landscape professionals. Some of the larger landscaping companies that would not bother with a single yard may be persuaded to create and install designs for whole blocks, thus achieving a uniform aesthetic. Follow-up workshops should be offered on how to care for the new landscaping.

 

Imagine if your indoor home wastewater is sufficient to provide most if not all additional water for landscaping needs. The result would be a dramatically reduced water bill, dramatically reduced water usage, major time savings from not having to mow lawns, and no need for expensive water diversion projects like that currently under consideration.

 

There are two ways to become rich, make more or want less. We can't make more water and will eventually reach the limits of what we can extract from the environment. We can want less water though. In wanting less, we will keep money in our pockets and adequate supplies of water available for years to come.