OUR MISSION
Enhancing urban living
through horticulture
Where do we fit in?
RELATIONSHIPS
Public
Gardening Public
Public schools
Gardening clubs
Master Gardeners
s
UC, UCCE
USDA ARS, NIFA
Other campuses
Academia
Industry
Professionals
Trade organizations
Regulatory agencies
Municipalities
Outline
I.
Overview of legislative actions
II.
Water facts and residential study example
III.
WUCOLS review and update…since last year
IV. Research-based alternative to WUCOLS
Water Conservation Act of 2009 (SBX7-7)
Requires all water suppliers to increase water use efficiency
Urban Water Conservation
The legislation sets an overall goal of reducing per capita urban water use by 20% by
December 31, 2020. The state shall make incremental progress towards this goal by
Reducing per capita water use by at least 10% by December 31, 2015.
Water Use Facts
•
•
•
•
•
California’s cities and suburbs used approximately 9.3 million acre-feet (maf) of
water in 2005
Residential uses 67% or 6.2 maf of this water
Outdoor use is approximately 42% (higher inland or desert) or 2.6 maf of this
6.2 maf
Average baseline use in CA is 198 gpcd (from 1995 – 2010; DWR figure)
Therefore, a 20% reduction by year 2020 would = 158 gpcd
Single Family Residential (SFR) Study
• Tracked water use in 700 homes across 10 California water districts
• Found that average excess landscape water use was roughly 26Kgal per
home
• With 8 million SFH in the state, excess water use represents 600,000 ac-ft
or roughly 15 gpcd
• 15% of the homes produced 62% of the excess water use
• SFR home study showed that a significant percentage of homeowners
irrigating less than predicted budget.
• 41% in smart controller install program had water use increase
Sponsored by:
The Department of Water Resources
Managed by:
The Irvine Ranch Water District
Efficiency Measure
Number
Installed
Water
Savings (AF)
Electricity
Savings (GWh)
Residential toilet (1.28 gpf)
Showerhead (1.5 gpm)
Residential front‐loading
clothes washer
Faucet aerator (1.5 gpm)
Pre‐rinse spray valve (1.0
gpm)
Connectionless food
steamer
Commercial dishwasher
Commercial front‐loading
clothes washer
Commercial urinal (0.5 gpf)
Commercial toilet (1.28 gpf)
Cooling tower pH controller
Pressurized water broom
Replace lawn with low‐
water‐use plants
Total
3,500,000
3,500,000
425,000
93,500
47,500
13,300
306
985
188
Natural Gas
Savings (million
therms)
‐
59.3
8.86
3,500,000
20,000
6,750
3,070
74.5
76.9
3.75
3.70
7,000
3,440
24.9
1.31
8,500
90,000
1,300
10,500
56.4
148
2.90
6.98
750,000
750,000
5,500
50,000
12,000 acres
51,800
31,300
21,900
7,670
28,400
170
103
71.8
20.3
75.4
‐
‐
‐
‐
‐
320,000
2,300
86.8
“California’s Next Million Acre-Feet: Saving Water, Energy and Money” by Cooley, Christian-Smith,
Gleick, Cohen and Heberger, September 2010 (Pacific Institute)
San Diego,
Orange,
Riverside,
Ventura,
Fresno, and
Sacramento.
Water Use Classification of Ornamental Landscape
Species…Plant List Initiative
Review and Update
WUCOLS “Key” Points
1. WUCOLS is a guide to plant water needs and is not a method for
estimating landscape water needs.
2. WUCOLS evaluations were made by leading horticulturists
representing 6 different climatic regions in California.
3. Plant water use designation was based on the collective field
experience and observations of evaluators. Although limited,
available field research was included as well.
4. Plant water use assignments were made by consensus agreement
of the evaluators. If a committee did not know a plant, it was not
evaluated. If the plant was not appropriate for a region, it was so
noted.
WUCOLS Key Points (cont.)
5. WUCOLS includes a list of 2,072 species/cultivars. However, there are over 400
species are ready to be added. There has been no challenges to the evaluations
and few suggested additions. Less than 2% of species have been evaluated
through field research.
6. WUCOLS evaluations have been adopted for use in many sectors (e.g.,
academic, professionals, municipalities and water agencies)
7. WUCOLS evaluations serve as an important guide in the selection of species for
hydrozones.
8. The WUCOLS list is intended to be dynamic, not static and new species can be
added.
9. WUCOLS is not perfect, but it serves to meet a critical need.
Current Situation
• All local agencies (cities, counties, charter cities and charter
counties) have until January 1, 2010 to adopt DWR’s updated
MWELO (Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance) or their own
local water efficient landscape ordinance.
• MWELO states that the “plant factors shall be from WUCOLS” for
calculating water budgets
• WUCOLS includes a list of 2,072 species/cultivars. However, there
are over 1700+ species in queue ready to be reviewed.
Current Situation
• The current WUCOLS III document is over 12+ years old.
• Landscape architects & designers, contractors, city planners,
retailers, irrigation consultants and wholesale nursery growers are
limited to the number of plants that can be utilized to comply with
the water budget calculation of MWELO.
• There is a backlog of water conserving plants that cannot or will not
be used in landscape designs…these plants will not be specified.
Review and Update
•
In most recent conversations with DWR, they would consider partially
funding a review and update of WUCOLS through a public service contract
currently managed by Dr. Loren Oki and Janet Hartin, UC Cooperative
Extension and Dr. Dave Fujino, UC Davis. COMPLETED
•
DWR funds would be used for the review process, creation, and
dissemination of an updated WUCOLS document, but the contract will not
support employment of a horticultural consultant(s) needed for the review
process. COMPLETED
•
Therefore, outside stakeholder support is needed and money procured
would support the consultant(s) to facilitate and manage the review
process and to leverage DWR funding. COMPLETED
Review and Update
• DWR money re-allocated to support review process
• Project duration estimated to be 12 months
• Any surplus stakeholder money would be applied to remaining
proposed objectives as prioritized by advisory committee
• Sufficient sponsorship money has been collected to fund consultants
• The CCUH has designated an advisory committee from stakeholders
providing monetary support.
• Convene six, regional meetings with UC academics and environmental
horticulture professionals to review and update WUCOLS species
evaluations
WUCOLS Sponsors
• Regional Water Authority (Northern California)
• American Society of Landscape Architects (CCASLA)
• Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD)
• American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC; north and south)
• Cagwin & Dorward (N. Calif. landscape construction & maintenance)
• California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC)
• California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA State)
• California Landscape Contractors Association (San Diego Chapter)
• San Diego County Water Authority
• Water Forum
• Glenn Schmidt Landscaping, Inc.
• Department of Water Resources, Water Use Efficiency
Year-to-Date Activities
•
•
•
•
Consultants, Larry Costello and Katherine Jones, hired to organize and
convene regional meetings with UC academics and environmental horticulture
professionals to review and update WUCOLS species evaluations
Six Regions:
 North Coastal
 Central Valley
 South Coastal
 South Inland
 High/Low Desert
Scan of CA wholesale nursery grower catalogs identified 1700+ “new” species
versus 400, originally estimated
Volunteers for all regional meeting teams identified and secured (plant
knowledge, experience, representation)
Year-to-Date Activities
•
Five Regional Meetings Scheduled:
 South Inland – October 24 and 25 √ complete
 Central Valley – November 7; second meeting on December 7 √ complete
 High/Low Desert – November 13 and 14 √ complete
 South Coastal – November 27 and 28 √ complete
 South Coastal (San Diego) – January 23
Selection Criteria
• Professional diversity (disciplines
including nursery professionals,
landscape contractors, landscape
architects & designers, botanical
garden/arboreta staff members,
consultants, and academics)
• “Must have” is that we select only
the very best "plants people" --- this
is crucial to the success of this work
• Availability to meet in person
(flexible)
• Team size = 6 – 7 reviewers
WUCOLS Sample Work Sheet
Additions
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
TYPE
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
Botanical Name
Albuca juncifolia
Albuca nelsonii
Albuca shawii
Alstroemeria spp.
Amarcrinum memoria-corsii
Amarygia hybrids
Amaryllis belladona
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
Anemone coronaria
Arthropodium cirrhatum
Babiana spp.
Babiana stricta hybrids
Baeometra uniflora
Bloomeraia crocea
Boophone disticha
Bravoa geminiflora (See
Polyanthes geminiflora)
Bulbinella robusta
Calochortus spp.
Calostemma purpureum
Camassia cusickii
Camassia quamash
Canna spp.
Chlorogalum pomeridianum
Clintonia andrewiana
Colchicum agrippium
B
Crinum spp.
Common Name
rush leaved albuca
natal albuca
1
2
3
4
5
6
Peruvian lily
crinodonna
amarygia
naked lady
poppy-flowered
anemone
star lily
M
M
M
M
?
M
VL
VL VL L
L
L
M
?
M
VL
?
/
/
baboon flower
beetle lily
golden stars
oxbane
L
L
L
?
/
/
bulbinella
Mariposa lily
garland lily
Cusick's Quamash
camas
canna
soap plant
red clintonia
autumn crocus
L
?
?
L
?
?
M
?
?
?
?
?
M
M
M
H
M
M
VL
VL M
M
M
M
M
M
M
?
crinum lily, spider lily M
M
WUCOLS list divided into plant
categories:
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Perennials
• Bulbs
• Grasses
WUCOLS Regions
Central Valley
North Central
Members
Barrie Coate
Nelda Matheny
Don Mahoney
Dick Turner
Nevin Smith
Lori Palmquist
James MacNair
Affiliation
Coate and Associates
HortScience
Strybing Arboretum
Pacific Horticulture
Suncrest Nursery
Irrigation and Design Consultation
MacNair & Assoc.
Members
Lance Walheim
Ellen Zagory
Karrie Reid
Cheryl Buckwalter
Taylor Lewis
Missy Gable
Affiliation
L. Walheim Assoc.
UCD Arboretum
UCCE
Landscape Liasons
Cornflower Farms
CCUH
South Inland
Members
Bob Perry
Bart O'Brien
Ken Kammeyer
Pam Pavela
Ron Kammeyer
Marilee Kuhlman
Dave Giddens
Affiliation
B. Perry Assoc.
Rancho Santa Ana BG
KK Associates
Western Municipal Water District
KK Associates
Comfort Zones Garden Design
Giddens Irrig. Design
WUCOLS Regions
South Coastal
Members
Randy Baldwin
Carol Bornstein
Kathy Musial
Don Hodel
Mike Evans
Kathy Copely
South Coastal (San Diego)
Members
Paul Redeker
Megan Allison
Nan Sterman
Dave Ehrlinger
Jim Bishop
David Reed
Affiliation
San Marcos Growers
LA Nat'l History Museum
Huntington BG
UC Cooperative Ext.
Tree of Life Nursery
Lightfoot Planning
Affiliation
Cuyamaca College
Mira Costa College
Garden Writer
San Diego BG
SD Hort Soc.
ASLA
High/Low Desert
Members
Spencer Knight
Diane Hollinger
Randy Meyers
Ray Lopez
Jeff Place
Hudson Hale
Bob Perry
Affiliation
Palm Desert
Palm Desert
RG Meyers & Nurseries
Ray Lopez and Associates
College of the Desert
Horttech Landscape Construction
B. Perry Associates
Future Opporunities
•
Develop training guide “How to Use WUCOLS” that will educate users on how
to sort WUCOLS list by plant type, climatic region, and water use category.
•
Establish a WUCOLS website to allow quick access for users and provide
supportive information on regular basis.
Develop a process where the WUCOLS list can be updated on an ongoing basis
and on a timely basis.
•
•
Develop and provide a scientific protocol for conducting plant water use trials
on WUCOLS website.
•
Develop and provide a user guide for submitting a MWELO application to city
planning departments
Future - Development of a National Standard for
determining Water Needs of Urban Landscapes
•
•
•
Organized by American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
ASABE X623 Landscape Water Availability Standard – “kick-off” webinar held
March 21
Dr. Michael Dukes, University of Florida, is the Project Lead; Discussions included:




•
•
•
•
The development of a standardized method to assess landscape water needs
Use of a water budget as a model or conservation tool
Need to match actual use with predictive models
Need to define "water budget"
Design and development of a standardized science-based procedure for estimating
water needs for non-turf landscapes
Dennis Pittenger, UCCE area environmental horticulturist for S. California, and
David Shaw, UCCE farm advisor in San Diego Co. to serve on ASABE expert panel
X623 committee met in November; next meeting schedule for February
http://www.asabe.org/standards/x623-project-update.aspx
Dave Fujino, Ph.D.
Executive Director
California Center for Urban Horticulture
UC Davis
(530) 754-7739
dwfujino@ucdavis.edu
http://ccuh.ucdavis.edu