Lake Forest, CA — The El Toro Water District (ETWD) celebrated the opening of their Water-Wise Demonstration Garden on Friday, March 30, with a ceremony featuring presentations by local elected officials, water industry professionals and a special guest appearance by Ricki the Raindrop! After the ceremony, guided tours were conducted by volunteers that had assisted in the design and installation of the garden.
“As part of El Toro Water District’s commitment to educate the public on the efficient use of water, we are excited to share this sustainable water-wise demonstration garden with the community,” said Board President Scott Goldman. “This educational resource showcases that California Friendly©, drought-tolerant, and native plants are attractive, water-wise, available locally, and can be incorporated into any residential or commercial landscape.”
To create the 33,226 square foot California Friendly© and drought-tolerant landscape, ETWD removed 27,137 square feet of turf and 6,089 square feet of other vegetation. This water-wise landscape is designed to conserve and retain water without sacrificing beauty and color. The plants on display were chosen because they are suitable for our climate and are low-water-using plants. The garden utilizes a smart/weather-based irrigation controller and an efficient drip irrigation system that applies water directly to the base of the plant to penetrate the soil and roots. Water consumption is estimated to reduce by 50 percent. Other features include mulch, decomposed granite walkways, and dry river beds, which are permeable and absorb water runoff, preventing it from entering storm drains and eventually, the ocean.
ETWD thanks its following partners in bringing this water-wise garden to life: Saddleback College Landscape Design Alumni Association, Lake Forest Garden Club, Metropolitan Water District, Municipal Water District of Orange County, California Polytechnic State University Horticulture and Crop Science Department, Richard Fisher Associates, Landscape Architects, DMA Greencare Contracting, Inc., Interpretive Graphics/Envirosigns and Boy Scout representatives from Troops 604, 623, 727 and 1210.
The Garden was funded by a dedicated and restricted ETWD water conservation reserve and rebate/grant funding from the Department of Water Resources, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Municipal Water District of Orange County.
We hope this outdoor community classroom will inspire water-wise gardening and promote water conservation for years to come.
The demonstration garden is located at 24251 Los Alisos Boulevard, Lake Forest, CA 92630 and is open from dawn to dusk, 365 days per year for self-guided tours.
California Friendly© Landscape Training workshops are scheduled for Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or May 23, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A Turf Removal training workshop is scheduled for June 2, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All workshops are located at ETWD, 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest. Registration is required, please visit www.etwd.com or email sseitz@etwd.com.
Second Photo Caption: (From left to right)
Back Row: MNWD Vice President Scott Colton, MNWD Director Gary Kurtz, Mesa Water District Board Member Jim Froelich and ETWD Director Fred Adjarian.
Front Row: MNWD Director Richard Fiore, Supervisor Bartlett’s Community Relations Advisor Sergio Prince, Ricki The Raindrop, ETWD Treasurer Mark Monin, MWDOC Director Sat Tamaribuchi, ETWD General Manager Robert Hill, ETWD Director Jose Vergara, City of Lake Forest Mayor Jim Gardner, ETWD Board President Scott Goldman, Jefferson Cha, District Representative, Office of Congresswoman Mimi Walters, City of Laguna Hills Mayor Melody Carruth, City of Laguna Woods Mayor Carol Moore and Trabuco Canyon Water District Director Don Chadd.
El Toro Water District
The mission of El Toro Water District is to provide its customers a safe, adequate and reliable supply of water and wastewater service in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
El Toro Water District was formed in 1960 to cost effectively and reliably finance, construct, operate and maintain a water and wastewater system. The district’s service area covers about 5,430 acres including all of the city of Laguna Woods, and portions of the cities of Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Aliso Viejo serving a total population of 49,000. The district is governed by a publicly elected five-member Board of Directors.
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