Dates: Tuesday, March 12th OR Thursday, March 14th 

Time: Start time 10am

Location: 12122 Cuyamaca College Dr W, El Cajon, CA 92019 

Parking: Free, onsite

Website: https://thegarden.org/

Walking: We will be walking on unpaved/gravel paths. They are meant to walk through the garden, but may be a little uneven and tough to roll over. Recommend bringing a portable stool to grab a seat when we stop to talk!

This week we are visiting the Water Conservation at Cuyamaca College! We will be learning more about the work they do to promote conservation and sustainability. Our reading is modified from the writing of the fabulous Mary Burns - the last time a RSD class visited the garden was back in 2016!

The Water Conservation Garden is a gentle reminder of what we can do with some hard work, and most of all limited water.  Our tour will highlight some of the potential landscapes that can be developed, pointing out plants and other types of hardscape which can create the escape you desire while keeping water use to the minimum.   

About the Water Conservation Garden

The Water Conservation Garden is nearly five acres of displays that showcase water conservation.  It includes a series of gardens, including a native plant garden and a vegetable garden.  There are also ho-to displays such as mulch and irrigation.  It is also billed as a learning laboratory, a place for an afternoon stroll, or a source of information about waterwise gardening.  

The Garden is supported by water district dues, memberships, donations, grants, facility rentals and gift shop sales.  It is a not-for-profit organization. 

The Water Conservation Garden was founded during a multi-year drought in the early 1990s.  At this point, the Helix and Otay Water Districts thought that a water conservation garden would show the public how to save water outdoors.  Cuyamaca college, which already had a horticulture department, joined as a third partner, and agreed to put up their land for the project.  The Garden opened in 1999. 

The Authority’s board is comprised of a representative and alternate appointed by each of the public agencies.  In addition, the Friends of the Water Conservation Garden, a non-profit corporation, was formed in 2011 to maintain the Garden. 

Gardens and Exhibits 

There are a variety of special gardens and exhibits to appeal to all participants.  Here are some of the examples: 

• Meadow Exhibit (shows an alternative to turf) 

• Turf exhibit (shows seven different types of turf, and their water requirements) 

• White garden (highlights how you can plant a garden with a single color) 

• Cactus and Succulent garden (showcases these plants) 

• Ground cover exhibit (attractive groundcover and hardscape alternatives to turf) 

• Container garden 

• Native plant garden (California natives, waterwise and attractive to wildlife) 

• Compost exhibit (shows different ways to create a compost) 

• Dorcas E. Utter Memorial Sensory Garden (maybe one of the most brain healthy exhibits, this garden displays examples of water wise plants that appeal to the senses) 

• Vegetable Garden (offers ways to create a vegetable garden while conserving water) 

• Bird and Butterfly garden (learn how to attract birds and butterflies) 

• Water-Wise Backyard Exhibit (real life example of how to conserve water) 

• Firewise landscaping Exhibit (how to make your home and landscape safer) 

• Children’s discovery trail (developed for the youngest visitors, featuring hidden animals, a sand box and a potting shed) 

A Brief History of Water Conservation in America

Water conservation is something that encompasses strategies and activities to manage fresh water as a sustainable resource to help meet current and future water demands. 

Water conservation has been in place in the US for the past 60 years.  In 1960, geographer Gilbert White asked water managers to expand their range to water problems as well.  He also suggested that these water managers be open to considering changes and alternatives that could include things such as land-use planning, zoning and changing water use patterns.  He said that this was important, considering the limited source of water and population explosion. 

As the US population has doubled over the past half century, with 40 out of 50 states facing water shortages in the next 50 years.  In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted a 20 question survey to evaluate water conservation and efficiency policies, and graded each state according to their answers.  In this way, they were able to see which states are most progressive in water conservation.  California and Texas scored the highest with 29 out of 40 points. 

The laws and policies covered under the survey included things such as plumbing fixture standards, water loss control rules, volumetric billing for water and technical assistance. 

Troubling, however, is that out of the 50 states surveyed, 19 have fallen under the D grade, meaning that they need to do more in conserving water.   

Certain water conservation methods are now required in US law.  These include low flow shower heads, low flush toilets, and things such as raw water flushes (using seawater or non-purified water for flushing), low flow taps, and garden nozzles that turn off. 

Low flush toilets were introduced in the US in the 1900s, and are basically flush toilets that use significantly less water than a full flush toilet.  There are two models, a single flush model and the dual flush models.  These can reduce the amount of water per flush to almost half.  Conventional flushes use about 3.5 gallons in every flush, where low-flush models use only about 1.6 gallons of water. 

Massachusetts in 1988 was the first state to require low flush toilets in new homes.  And, in 1992, US President George H.W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act, which ensured that 1.6 gallons of water per flush was the maximum limit for all new toilets. 

In spite of laws and public policies, the full potential for water conservation has been limited.  Programs are often limited to landscape advice and public education with no follow-up on people to see if they are abiding with what they are taught. 

Check out these water conservation facts and tips, courtesy of the City of Arroyo Grande:

​A Brief History of Water Conservation in America. (2013). Retrieved from RateMyToilet: http://www.ratemytoilet.net/brief-history-water-conservation-america/ 

​About the Garden. (2012). Retrieved from TheGarden.org: http://www.thegarden.org/ 

​Conserving Water. (2014). Retrieved from EPA.GOV: http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/ConserveWater.htm 

​​ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-americas-looming-water-crisis

https://www.arroyogrande.org/DocumentCenter/View/273/Water-Conservation-Facts-PDF