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San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program now has website

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program, a grant-funded partnership created by the San Diego County Water Authority, the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the Surfrider Foundation, the California American Water Company and the Association of Compost Producers, now has a website to help the region’s residents easily find the information they need to transform turf-based urban landscapes to ones that provide multiple environmental benefits, such as increased water-use efficiency and improved stormwater management.

At the website, SustainableLandscapesSD.org, residents can find a collection of resources that the partners in the San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program, or SLP, began rolling out late last year to encourage homeowners to take a more sustainable approach to landscapes.

These include: a comprehensive 71-page guidebook with photos, diagrams and checklists; landscaping classes; and technical assistance through personalized design coaching. Other resources include training for landscape professionals and access to discounted landscaping materials such as mulch and compost.

Homeowners can go to the site to sign up to be notified when the SLP launches a new financial incentive program to help participants transform existing lawns into landscapes that meet SLP standards.

Key SLP landscape features include rainwater capture and detention, soil enhancements, climate-appropriate plant selection and water-efficient irrigation methods. The rebate program is expected to start later this summer. Funding is limited, and those interested in participating must not remove their turf grass before being accepted into the incentive program. Additional eligibility requirements and site inspections will also apply. For more information, go to SustainableLandscapesSD.org/incentives/.

SLP guidelines recognize the San Diego region’s unique combination of habitats and landscapes. By treating their yards like mini-watersheds, program participants create thriving gardens that contribute to a more sustainable San Diego region with lower water use, decreased runoff and stormwater pollution, and reduced green waste. The partnership is funded in part by a California Department of Water Resources Proposition 84 Integrated Regional Water Management grant.

California is in its fifth year of drought. Although the Water Authority and its member agencies have sufficient water supplies to last three additional dry years under the state’s rigorous “stress test,” the agency is continuing to encourage residents and businesses to always use water efficiently regardless of weather conditions.

Information on the Water Authority’s full suite of water-saving programs is at www.WaterSmartSD.org. The Water Authority also is in the process of developing a new outreach campaign that promotes long-term water-use efficiency that will launch this summer.

 

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