(gallons per sq. ft. per year)
![\"0](\"/site_media/images/drip0.png\")
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![\"2](\"/site_media/images/drip2.png\")
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Conventional annuals are among the highest water users in the garden. Examples include:
If you don’t have a scaled plan or aerial photograph for your property, here are a couple of ways you can roughly estimate the size of your various landscape areas.
Another option is to estimate the total size of your landscape (multiply its width in feet by its length in feet) then estimate what percentage is covered by hardscape, water feature, and/or planted in each plant-type. Then apply the percentage to the total area to get the size of each area. (For example, if about 25% of a 1,200 square feet landscape is planted as a traditional lawn, then multiple .25 times 1,200 to get 300 square feet of traditional lawn.)
" r654.help["help_avoid_crowding" ] = "Before you buy plants, find out how tall and how wide they will be when full grown. Leave enough space for plants to grow to their full size.
Allowing plants room to grow provides more light and air for healthy growth and will reduce your time and the amount of green waste your yard generates.
We assume that avoiding crowding of plants reduces green waste by 25% for shrubs. This estimate is based on the judgment of the expert gardeners on our project team. (Note that it is not based on any field measurements or study data, and so should be considered an approximation only.)
"; r654.help["help_avoid_crowding2"] = r654.help["help_avoid_crowding"]; //redundant redundancy, not terribly elegant. r654.help["help_cacti"] = "Cacti can make a stunning addition to your garden and most varieties of succulents use very little water and are highly drought-tolerant. Examples that are well-suited to California gardens include:
California natives include a wide variety of plants that may be well suited to area climate and soils. Many of them are low-water use and drought tolerant. Examples include:
Need to write.
"; r654.help["help_compost"] = "Composting on site eliminates (or reduces) the need to truck green waste offsite and results in a fantastic resource for your landscape. Applying compost as mulch around your plants builds healthy, disease suppressive soil and improves aeration and moisture retention. Compost contains a full spectrum of plant nutrients, so it reduces or eliminates the need for commercial fertilizers, which can release nutrients too quickly, polluting stormwater runoff. For more about the benefits and application of compost, read this useful Composting Guidebook from Sacramento County’s Department of Waste Management and Recycling.
Another excellent resource is the A River-Friendly Landscaping Gude to Mulch & Grasscycling. Download (PDF, 20 pages, 3.2 MB).We assume that you can divert 25% of your landscape’s green waste by composting. Of course, this is only one estimate, and you may be able to do much better! If you are committed to composting and have enough space, you may be able to reduce your green waste by nearly 100%. However, even for enthusiastic composters, there are some materials that are better handled in a large-scale, professional composting facility. This might include larger branches that would take years to break down, weed seeds, or diseased plant material. (Don't check this option if you don’t put landscape waste into your compost (for example, if you’re just using it for kitchen scraps.)
"; r654.help["help_compost2"] = r654.help["help_compost"]; r654.help["help_drip_pressure"] = "The emitters in a pressure-compensating system adjust so that the flow rate from each emitter is uniform, allowing for even more consistent and efficient water application.
"; r654.help["help_drip_standard"] = "Delivers water right where it's most needed.
"; r654.help["help_drops"] = "The water drop icons indicate approximately how much water a plant is expected to use over the course of a year. The table below shows how much water one square foot of landscape might use in an average year. These numbers are averages only, as actual plant water needs depend on many different factors.
| Drops | Plant Factor | Water Required (gallons per sq. ft. per year) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 0.2 | 5.4 |
| 0.3–0.4 | 8.1 – 11 |
| 0.5–0.6 | 14 – 16 |
| 0.7 | 19 |
| 0.8–1.0 | 22 – 27 |
We calculated watering needs for different plants based on each species' \"plant factor\" as identified in the publication A Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings in California, published by the University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Department of Water Resources. Link (PDF, 3.8 MB).
"; r654.help["help_dry_v_wet"] = "Landscape water use can vary quite a bit from one year to the next based on that year's weather. Water use will be much higher in hot, dry years, and lower in wet, cool years. In order to let you estimate how water use might vary from year to year, we let you estimate your water use for a range of weather conditions. We recommend starting off with an average year.
"; r654.help["help_easy_care"] = "Plants that aren’t prone to pests and that grow well with little water or commercial fertilizer are great choices for your pocketbook and the environment. Horticultural staff at the UC Davis Arboretum identified 100 such plants that are great in a garden. Many of those are California natives, which also benefit wildlife. Visit the California Native Plant Society for more about California natives and Be Water Smart for more tips about plants and planting.
Another useful resource is the website for the Integrated Pest Management Program at UC Davis, which can help you diagnose many common plant pests and diseases and find the least-toxic way of treating them.
"; r654.help["help_emissions"] = "Ferns are often an appropriate choice in shady, moist areas. Examples include:
Fixed spray sprinklers produce a fan of water, and are often used for lawns or ground cover.
"; r654.help["help_fruit_trees"] = "Deciduous fruit trees use moderate to high amounts of water. Popular varieties include:
Greenhouse gases trap heat close to the surface of the Earth, contributing to global warming and climate change. These gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), and others.
"; r654.help["help_grasscycling"] = "Grasscycling is the practice of leaving cut grass on the lawn after mowing. This saves water and fertilizer, and also cuts down on time and labor since you don't have to rake up and bag grass clippings. A common misconception is that you will have to mow more frequently to avoid thatch buildup. However, newer lawnmowers help by chopping the grass into smaller pieces which break down more quickly.
For more information, visit the Grasscycling page at CalRecycle.
Another good resource is the booklet A River-Friendly Landscaping Gude to Mulch & Grasscycling. Download (PDF, 20 pages, 3.2 MB).
When you grasscycle, we assume that no green waste is produced for landscape areas covered by grass. This includes the plant communities “Grass, Low-Water Use” and “Grass, Traditional Lawn.” For conventional lawns and landscapes, we assume that green waste is produced at a rate of 0.35 pounds per square foot per year.
"; r654.help["help_grasscycle2"] = r654.help["help_grasscycling"]; r654.help["help_grass_traditional"] = "Keeping a traditional lawn green year-round is among the biggest water users in a landscape. Grass species which are considered high water use include:
This category might include decks, patios, walkways, or other areas that are not vegetated. A few guidelines can help you create a hardscape that is environmentally friendly. Avoid creating large impervious areas that prevent water from percolating into the ground and could increase stormwater runoff. Use salvaged items and recycled content materials. If you are using wood, seek out sustainably harvested (FSC Certified) lumber. For more tips, view a list of Bay-Friendly Landscaping Materials. .
'; r654.help["help_hardscape"] = "Avoid creating large impervious areas that prevent water from percolating into the ground and could increase stormwater runoff. Choose permeable materials such as pervious concrete and decomposed granite.Or use pavers, salvaged items and recycled content materials set in sand or soil for hardscape. If you are using wood, seek out sustainably harvested (FSC Certified) lumber. For more tips, view a list of Bay-Friendly Landscaping Materials.
"; r654.help["help_high_water_ground_cover"] = "Several popular ground-cover plants are unfortunately quite high in water use. Examples include:
High-water use shrubs include:
Several popular varieties of trees are unfortunately very high water use. Examples include:
For help in choosing the right tree for your landscape, visit the SelecTree website by the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute at Cal Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo.
"; r654.help["help_hose"] = "Most people use more water than when watering by hand.
"; r654.help["help_hydrozone2"] = r654.help["help_hydrozones"]; r654.help["help_hydrozones"] = "When you group plants with similar water needs, you divide the landscape into “hydrozones.” That makes watering or setting up an irrigation system a lot easier. When you select plants suited to the site conditions, you will automatically group plants with similar needs for light. If you cannot eliminate fertilizers (strongly recommended to protect water quality), then consider grouping plants that require fertilizers, or with similar fertilizing needs. This will make fertilizing more efficient and restricts this activity to one portion of the landscape where it can be better controlled.
For detailed information, see the publication Rules of Thumb for Water-Wise Gardening from the Regional Water Authority. Download link (PDF, 22 pages, 1.6 MB).
"; r654.help["help_invasive"] = "An invasive plant is a non-native plant species with the potential to grow in the wild and disrupt California's ecosystems. According to the California Invasive Plant Council, of the 1,800 non-native plants that grow in our wildlands, about 200 of these are invasive. Visit Cal-IPC's website for a listing, and to learn more.
![\"Pampas](\"/site_media/photos/Cortadera_selleona.jpg\")
Pampas grass (Cortadera selleona) is a native of South America that is an invasive plant that can displace native plants and increase wildfire risks. Photo courtesy of Lidia Zitara via flickr.
For another useful resource, StopWaste.org compiled a list of commonly-planted invasive plants and lists their alternatives.
"; r654.help["help_irrigation"] = "For more information about smart garden watering, visit Water-Wise Gardening in the Gold Country Region.
"; r654.help["help_labor"] = "Several species of warm-season grasses consume less water than traditional lawn grasses like fescue and ryegrass. These include:
Low water-use ground covers include:
Many shrubs that are native to California, Mexico, Australia, and the Mediterranean are colorful as well as particularly hardy and drought-tolerant. Low water use shrubs include:
Warning! Do not plant Broom (Scotch, French, Portugese, Spanish), which is an invasive plant that can harm California wildlands and increase the risks from wildfires.
"; r654.help["help_low_water_trees"] = "Low-water use trees include:
For help in choosing the right tree for your landscape, visit the SelecTree website by the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute at Cal Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo.
"; r654.help["help_med_water_ground_cover" ] = "Examples of ground cover plants with medium water use include:
Examples of medium-water use shrubs include:
Medium water-use trees include:
For help in choosing the right tree for your landscape, visit the SelecTree website by the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute at Cal Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo.
"; r654.help["help_micro_spray"] = "Micro spray systems are a cross between surface spray irrigation and drip irrigation, and are suited for watering ground cover and flower beds.
"; r654.help["help_mower"] = "TODO.
"; r654.help["help_mulch"] = "Mulch consists of organic materials such as shredded bark, ground up tree trimmings, and leaves. A thick layer of mulch cuts down on water loss from evaporation, keeps the soil moist, and helps prevent weeds.
Make sure to keep mulch a few inches away from the trunks of trees and shrubs. For detailed information, view A River-Friendly Landscaping Gude to Mulch & Grasscycling. Download (PDF, 20 pages, 3.2 MB).
We assume that mulching heavily will reduce water consumption by 20%. This rough estimate comes from conversations with master gardeners and professional landscapers. (Note that it is not based on any field measurements or study data, and so should be considered an approximation only.)
Choosing the mulch option adds an expense. We assume that mulch costs $25 per cubic yard and must be fully replenished every 3 years. One cubic yard of mulch will cover approximately 108 square feet to a depth of 3 inches.
"; r654.help["help_mulch2"] = r654.help["help_mulch"]; r654.help["help_mulched"] = "Use this land cover type if you would like to represent areas without any vegetation. Mulch can include wood chips, shredded bark, and other materials.
"; r654.help["help_options"] = "When you are entering information for the first time, check the options that you currently have in place. For example, if most of your landscape areas use mulch, check the box next to the mulching option.
Once you have finished entering information about your landscape, you can go back and experiment with how checking and un-checking this option affects your results.
"; r654.help["help_perennials"] = "Medium-water use perennials include the following:
Your response to this question does not affect the results in most categories. For example, it does not affect your water use, expense, or labor hours. However, in order to qualify as a River Friendly Landscape, you must choose either “non-toxic or organic alternatives” or “None.”
"; r654.help["help_pesticides2"] = r654.help["help_pesticides"]; r654.help["help_plant_areas"] = "Most landscapes are divided into areas with different landscape features (for example, patio or walkways), different plant types (for example, a small lawn, an area of shrubs, or a border with ground cover). For each area on your property, click the “Select Landscape Feature” button and choose the option that most closely matches your situation. Then, estimate how much area is taken up by that feature or plant type. Finally, for the planted areas, click the “select irrigation method” button and choose what irrigation is used or planned for that area from the options presented.
For trees, you should enter the area of a square beneath the tree's canopy. So for a tree with a 10 foot diameter canopy, the area is 100 square feet (10 x 10). If you have other plants growing under the tree's canopy, you should enter each of these separately. In other words, you'll be calculating this area twice.
"; r654.help["help_plant_choice"] = "For help choosing low-water use plants that grow in the Sacramento region, see the interactive plant data base at http://www.rwa.watersavingplants.com/default.php.
"; r654.help["help_pond"] = "Need to find info/guidance on River Friendly and ponds. Are these discouraged? Obviously, they lose a lot of water due to evaporation, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're evil.
"; r654.help["help_qualify"] = "In order for your landscape to qualify as River Friendly:
After establishment, many types of plants do not require any supplemental irrigation, particularly native plants. But all plants need some irrigation when first getting established.
"; r654.help["help_resources"] = "Visit the River Friendly Landscaping , and Be Water Smart websites .
If you are a landscape professional, consider the Green Gardener Training program.
"; r654.help["help_river_friendly"] = "River-Friendly Landscaping practices foster soil health, conserve water and other valuable resources, reduce waste, and prevent pollution of our air and waterways. For the purposes of this online calculator, we define the two types as follows.
The common impact sprinkler, besides being the inspiration for a fabulous 80s dance, re-creates the effect of rainfall. Today, they are considered one of the more inefficient irrigation options.
"; r654.help["help_smart_controller"] = "Irrigation controllers can help you apply precisely the right amount of water. Smart controllers also called weather-based irrigation controllers keep track of temperature and rain to help determine how much too water based on your plant and soil types.
Note that a smart controller won't make up for poor site design or an improperly installed or maintained irrigation system. If you own an inefficient system, it is important that the entire irrigation system is improved for water-efficiency and regularly monitored to prevent water waste.
![\"Programmable](\"../site_media/images/controller.jpg\")
A smart controller by Hunter. Many water utilities offer rebates to purchase and install smart controllers. Photo courtesy of flickr user slworking2.
| Features | Traditional controller | Smart controller |
|---|---|---|
| Automated watering system | X | X |
| Automatic shutoff when raining | X | |
| Automatically determines watering schedule based on weather conditions | X | |
| Does not require seasonal monitoring/changes | X | |
| Uses 25% less water | X | |
| Endorsed by EPA WaterSense | X |
Table courtesy of Salt River Project, Arizona.
When shopping for a smart irrigation controller, look for one with the EPA WaterSmart label.
We assume that using a properly installed and calibrated smart controller will reduce watering by 20%. We've based this approximation on recent, detailed surveys of homeowners which reveal that many people overwater. See, for example, the 2011 study ”California Single-Family Water Use Efficiency Study“ prepared for the California Department of Water Resources. Link (PDF, 8 MB).
(Note that this estimate is not based directly on any field measurements or study data, and so should be considered an approximation only.)
"; r654.help["help_smart_controller2"] = r654.help["help_smart_controller"]; r654.help["help_soaker"] = "Soaker hoses deliver water directly to the soil, and can cut down on water lost by sprinklers from overspray and evaporation. Here is a nice pamphlet, Success with Soaker Hoses (pdf), from Seattle.
"; r654.help["help_soil"] = "Need to insert information/links.
"; r654.help["help_topic"] = "Most varieties of herbs and vegetables are relatively highwater use. Examples include tomatoes, melons, squash, beans, and many more.
Note that some herbs, particularly Mediterranean varieties, can be very low water use. Examples include thyme, rosemary, and lavender.
"; r654.help["help_waste"] = "Why do we ask you about your waste hauler? Because it takes fuel to run the trucks to collect green waste and transport it to processing facilities, waste hauling is an important piece of landscaping-related emissions. Haulers transport materials to different facilities. In general, the further the distance traveled, the greater the emissions. Additionally, some haulers run fleets of more efficient, gas-powered vehicles. Knowing which waste hauler servers your home helps us more accurately estimate the emissions.
"; r654.help["help_water"] = "A really pleasant way to water and efficient too, although it probably takes a bit more time.
"; r654.help["help_water_requirements"] = "We ask you about your water utility because it takes energy to collect, treat, and deliver water to your home, and the energy use varies by location and by water utility. By knowing your water utility, we can more accurately estimate the energy it takes to deliver your water, and the greenhouse gas emissions related to that energy use.
For help finding your water utility, visit Be Water Smart.
"; r654.help["help_zip"] = "This website was developed for Sacramento County. If you are not in the Sacramento area, feel free to try it out, but your results may not be as accurate or meaningful.
";