News Item Re: Church's Efforts on Water Conservation

[smac97]

The LDS Church is making waterwise decisions in landscaping

Quote

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is continuing to join the waterwise conservation effort. The church, as part of its sustainability priorities, is working to significantly decrease water usage by reducing lawn areas, improving irrigation systems, and adding drought-tolerant, waterwise, and native plants during re-landscaping projects at seven Utah meetinghouses.

Conservation and landscape makeovers were introduced earlier this year by Bishop W. Christopher Waddell during the Wallace Stenger Symposium at the University of Utah. The church has made strides in water conservation efforts by meeting with local water districts and striving to lead out in research in future building projects.

For projects in the Salt Lake area, the church has coordinated efforts with Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District and has put water conservation practices into all new facility builds and remodels of older facilities.

“The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District has coordinated ideas and concepts for effective waterwise landscaping with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for existing church-owned properties within our service area for many years,” said Cynthia Bee, public information officer, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. “We appreciate their willingness to embrace this change as part of the renovation process on existing facilities. We are also pleased that they have chosen to install waterwise landscaping on new facilities from the outset, regardless of whether the municipal ordinance requires it. Every property owner is obligated to be good stewards of our water resources and we appreciate the many organizations lending their strength to this community effort.”

Thanks,

-Smac

[LoudmouthMormon]

I'd note that there are already church buildings built with such things in mind.  My ward building was built in the '80's, and doesn't have a sprinkler system or have any landscaping needs beyond occasional re-mulching some mulch.  The rest is all native grasses and trees. 

[pogi]

Hopefully this will inspire more members to consider such conservation efforts and team up with Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District when redoing their landscaping.  I just finished re-landscaping my backyard last month (just in time!) and it turned out so beautiful, and I will be getting around a $2000 check from the waterwise program to boot. 

For people who are not afraid of work and are good at finding deals on KSL etc. it can be done relatively inexpensively.  What would have been a $60,000 job hired out, I did myself over a 2 year period for about $7,000.  With the rebate, it will be around $5,000.  The money saved on water over-time will add up too.   My backyard is no longer a boring water-hungry lawn.  It is a place to retreat and socialize in different areas, explore walking paths with different landscape interests and cross bridges over gentle cascading falls, lounge next to the falls and just enjoy the sound of the water and beauty of the surroundings, escape the heat under vine covered trellis, and grow organic produce.  I can't wait for spring to watch all my plants fill in and plant my veggie garden. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by pogi

[Calm]

53 minutes ago, pogi said:

Hopefully this will inspire more members to consider such conservation efforts and team up with Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District when redoing their landscaping.  I just finished re-landscaping my backyard last month (just in time!) and it turned out so beautiful, and I will be getting around a $2000 check from the waterwise program to boot. 

For people who are not afraid of work and are good at finding deals on KSL etc. it can be done relatively inexpensively.  What would have been a $60,000 job hired out, I did myself over a 2 year period for about $7,000.  With the rebate, it will be around $5,000.  The money saved on water over-time will add up too.   My backyard is no longer a boring water-hungry lawn.  It is a place to retreat and socialize in different areas, explore walking paths with different landscape interests and cross bridges over gentle cascading falls, lounge next to the falls and just enjoy the sound of the water and beauty of the surroundings, escape the heat under vine covered trellis, and grow organic produce.  I can't wait for spring to watch all my plants fill in and plant my veggie garden. 

I am trying to talk my husband into converting our lawns, but he sees them as play areas though very little play occurs on them, especially the front yard.

[blackstrap]

I have not watered my lawns for over 30 years and they are about as green as my neighbor's who waters weekly. The key is to force the roots deep so the lawn can resist dry times better. Of course , one can always have an Arizona lawn made of rock. 

[pogi]

49 minutes ago, Calm said:

I am trying to talk my husband into converting our lawns, but he sees them as play areas though very little play occurs on them, especially the front yard.

I also was concerned about not having as much lawn for my kids to play on (they are 4 and 7).  It turns out, they spend way more time in the non-lawn areas of my yard now than on the lawn, and say they enjoy the yard way more.  About 1/4 of my back yard is still lawn, so they still have that option too.  My yard had a hill on it so they never played on the sloped part of the lawn anyway.  Now that it is converted, they love going on the trails on the slope and crossing the waterfall bridge and playing in their vine fort.  We are also going to keep them involved in the veggie garden, they are excited to plant their own seeds. 

[Emily]

"Waterwise" Utah guidelines aren't requiring rock yards.  They mostly want you to convert to landscaping that can be watered by drip irrigation (ground covers and water efficient perennials and shrubs), and/or confine grass inside flat squared off borders that can be watered efficiently without water sprinkling onto sidewalks or running down slopes into gutters.

One of our neighbors did nothing to their yard but dig out the sod around the edges like a picture frame around a rectangle of lawn, enclosed the lawn inside vinyl landscaping borders, relocated the sprinklers to inside the rectangle so the water sprayed only on the grass and no where else, and planted a few shrubs on two sides of the "frame".  They were in compliance and got a rebate. It's certainly not inspired, but it looks neat and tidy, uses a lot less water, and he says it's a whole lot easier to mow. 

[pogi]

39 minutes ago, blackstrap said:

I have not watered my lawns for over 30 years and they are about as green as my neighbor's who waters weekly.

You live in Utah? 

Is it actually grass that is growing in your "lawn", ha ha?

My last house I planted a water-wise lawn that was a mix of water-wise fescue, micro clover, and fennel.  Clover is one of the best things for a lawn because it pulls nitrogen from the deeper soil and really greens up your lawn.  But even that required some watering to keep alive and looking half-way decent. 

 

[pogi]

8 minutes ago, Emily said:

"Waterwise" Utah guidelines aren't requiring rock yards.  They mostly want you to convert to landscaping that can be watered by drip irrigation (ground covers and water efficient perennials and shrubs), and/or confine grass inside flat squared off borders that can be watered efficiently without water sprinkling onto sidewalks or running down slopes into gutters.

One of our neighbors did nothing to their yard but dig out the sod around the edges like a picture frame around a rectangle of lawn, enclosed the lawn inside vinyl landscaping borders, relocated the sprinklers to inside the rectangle so the water sprayed only on the grass and no where else, and planted a few shrubs on two sides of the "frame".  They were in compliance and got a rebate. It's certainly not inspired, but it looks neat and tidy, uses a lot less water, and he says it's a whole lot easier to mow. 

The guidelines require that no more than 30% of the yard can be lawn.   Shape of the lawn doesn't matter so much (mine is more curved and circular), but you can't have lawn on a slope over a certain degree, and you can't have any lawn areas less than 8 feet wide.   You are right that they don't require rock yards, but they do offer a larger money incentive for xeriscaped areas of your yard, like concrete, rock, gravel, paver trails/patios, etc.  

[Calm]

27 minutes ago, Emily said:

"Waterwise" Utah guidelines aren't requiring rock yards.  They mostly want you to convert to landscaping that can be watered by drip irrigation (ground covers and water efficient perennials and shrubs), and/or confine grass inside flat squared off borders that can be watered efficiently without water sprinkling onto sidewalks or running down slopes into gutters.

One of our neighbors did nothing to their yard but dig out the sod around the edges like a picture frame around a rectangle of lawn, enclosed the lawn inside vinyl landscaping borders, relocated the sprinklers to inside the rectangle so the water sprayed only on the grass and no where else, and planted a few shrubs on two sides of the "frame".  They were in compliance and got a rebate. It's certainly not inspired, but it looks neat and tidy, uses a lot less water, and he says it's a whole lot easier to mow. 

Well, my husband is retiring this year and inside renovations need a higher skill level than he has at this point, so maybe this can be his next big project

[MiserereNobis]

3 hours ago, pogi said:

Hopefully this will inspire more members to consider such conservation efforts and team up with Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District when redoing their landscaping.  I just finished re-landscaping my backyard last month (just in time!) and it turned out so beautiful, and I will be getting around a $2000 check from the waterwise program to boot. 

For people who are not afraid of work and are good at finding deals on KSL etc. it can be done relatively inexpensively.  What would have been a $60,000 job hired out, I did myself over a 2 year period for about $7,000.  With the rebate, it will be around $5,000.  The money saved on water over-time will add up too.   My backyard is no longer a boring water-hungry lawn.  It is a place to retreat and socialize in different areas, explore walking paths with different landscape interests and cross bridges over gentle cascading falls, lounge next to the falls and just enjoy the sound of the water and beauty of the surroundings, escape the heat under vine covered trellis, and grow organic produce.  I can't wait for spring to watch all my plants fill in and plant my veggie garden. 

Pogi, ya damn hippie 😁

Here’s a picture of Jerry for you:

[Tacenda]

3 hours ago, pogi said:

Hopefully this will inspire more members to consider such conservation efforts and team up with Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District when redoing their landscaping.  I just finished re-landscaping my backyard last month (just in time!) and it turned out so beautiful, and I will be getting around a $2000 check from the waterwise program to boot. 

For people who are not afraid of work and are good at finding deals on KSL etc. it can be done relatively inexpensively.  What would have been a $60,000 job hired out, I did myself over a 2 year period for about $7,000.  With the rebate, it will be around $5,000.  The money saved on water over-time will add up too.   My backyard is no longer a boring water-hungry lawn.  It is a place to retreat and socialize in different areas, explore walking paths with different landscape interests and cross bridges over gentle cascading falls, lounge next to the falls and just enjoy the sound of the water and beauty of the surroundings, escape the heat under vine covered trellis, and grow organic produce.  I can't wait for spring to watch all my plants fill in and plant my veggie garden. 

Wow, I'm impressed. That sounds peaceful and relaxing. 

[Emily]

On 11/22/2023 at 3:57 PM, pogi said:

but you can't have lawn on a slope over a certain degree, and you can't have any lawn areas less than 8 feet wide

I would say the lawn he has left is about 8'x16'. Very flat, rectangular space. The border around is wide, but I'm not sure the grass is less than 30 percent of the yard. If you count the cement driveway and path/side walks it would be.

I took the class and submitted a plan, but they cancelled the rebate program that was in effect at about the same time, so I will have to look at the new guidelines and submit a new plan before I can move forward on the rebate program. Life got too busy lately.

 

[Kenngo1969]

On 11/22/2023 at 5:09 PM, MiserereNobis said:

Pogi, ya damn hippie 😁...

Language!

 

Just havin' a little fun with ya, MN!