Xeriscape Demonstration Garden: A Proposal for the Marshall Tract

1Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

Proposal for the Marshall Tract

What is Xeriscaping?Xeriscaping is the art of creating water-conserving landscapes by efficient watering techniques and selecting plants that are appropriate to the natural environment. The term xeriscape is derived from the Greek word, Xeros, which means dry. Xeriscapes are not dry and dull! Well-designed xeriscapes are beautiful and functional. The best xeriscapes use a fraction of the water needed by traditional lawn-dominated landscapes. Some xeric plants require little or no supplemental watering once they are established and xeriscapes require far less ongoing maintenance.In today's world of concerns about depreciating water resources, xeriscape is an ideal way to "live green." More than fifty percent of residential water used, in the western United States, is used to keep landscapes and lawns green. Xeriscape can reduce this by 60% or more. With water demands and usage increasing rapidly, we need to find ways to use water more efficiently. Efficient water use means finding ways to have attractive, landscapes without excessive water use.Xeriscaping will help beautify your home and increase its value - as much as 15%! Using plants and landscaping that is native to the area in which you live can conserve water, time, money and the landscape will retain its beauty during times of drought.

Why Do We Need Xeriscaping?Water is a precious, limited resource. It is essential not just maintaining our quality of life, but life itself. There are a number forces putting pressure on our water resources.

Agricultural NeedsWater is fundamentally important for food and agriculture, and is the basic ingredient of life: one can survive for eight to ten days without food but without water, for not more than two days. Despite the fact that our body is made up of 2/3 of water, the food we eat consumes even more water than we do. Water for irrigation and food production constitutes one of the greatest pressures on freshwater resources. Although the earth has 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water, less than 1 percent is accessible for human consumption, and 70 percent of that is used for agricultural purposes.

Our Water Supplies Are Dangerously LowAs of March 1, 2014, the water supply, as measured by Lakes Travis and Buchanan, are at 38%, a condition described by LCRA as Severe. We are just one step from Emergency.

Paul Schumann, [email protected], 512.632.6586

2In addition even the most optimistic predictions fall short of solving our water supply problems.


3Paroxysmal Weather PatternsWe are in a persistent, long term weather pattern of drought. This present drought has been going on forat least ten years and appears to be deepening. There is no indication that this drought will leave us any time soon.

Texas Drought Maps and Photos1

Global Climate ChangeEven if the drought in our area subsides, long term prospects for water are diminishing. Our weather is the result of a complex system. As a result, our ability to forecast future weather is limited. And, while different models forecast differently, all agree on two things:

1. It's getting warmer.2. Extremes are becoming more frequent.

...based on projections made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and results from the United Kingdom Hadley Centres climate model (HadCM2), a model that accounts for both greenhousegases and aerosols, by 2100 temperatures in Texas could increase by about 3 F (~1.7 C) in spring (with a range of 1-6F) and about 4 F (~2.2 C) in other seasons (with a range of 1-9F). Precipitation is estimated to decrease by 5-30% in winter and increase by about 10% in the other seasons.Increases in summer could be slightly larger (up to 30%) than in spring and fall. Other climate models may show different results. The amount of precipitation on extreme wet or snowy days in winter is likely to decrease, and the amount of precipitation on extreme wet days in summer is likely to increase. The frequency of extreme hot days in summer would increase because of the general warming trend. It is not clear how severe storms such as hurricanes would change.2

The projections indicate an increase of 1F for the 2000-2019 period, 2F for the 2020-20139 period, and close to 4F for the 2040-2059 period. With the first eight years of the 2000-2019 period being the warmest such period on record, the projection is well on its way to reflecting reality.3

These projections fall well outside the range of normal variability, while they appear small, will have a profound effect on our climate.

1 Dried Out: Confronting the Texas Drought, NPR State Impact2 Climate Change in Texas, Wikipedia3 The Changing Climate of Texas, John W. Nielsen-Gammon, The Impact Of Global Warming On Texas , Jurgen

Schmandt, Judith Clarkson and Gerald North, University Of Texas Press


4Population IncreaseThe population of Central Texas will increase by 2.3 million by 2030. Every person who moves into our area increases the demand for water. CAMPO4 has accepted the following forecasts of population in Central Texas:

County 2010 2040Travis 1,024,000 1,733,000Williamson 423,000 1,407,000Hays 157,000 628,000Others (3) 155,000 332,000Total (6 county) 1,759,000 4,100,000

Traditional Landscaping Uses Too Much WaterIn a typical day in August of a dry year (2007) Austin used about 100 million gallons of water per day for landscape watering, a 100% increase from base usage in the winter. It makes no sense in today's environment to use water in this manner.

4 Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Community Impact, June 11, 2013


5What Is a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden?A Xeriscape Demonstration Garden is established primarily to demonstrate the efficient use of water in landscaping while at the same time providing an interesting and attractive area for strolling and relaxing in an urban setting. Plants are chosen based on their water needs. Shade/sun requirements, height, color, and blooming season also influence plant selection. A Xeriscape Demonstration Garden provides information and inspiration for gardeners intent on limiting water usage and having beautiful productive yards and gardens. Like any successful landscape, xeriscaping requires careful planning and a good design. Xeriscaping relies on native plants and plants from similar climates that are drought-tolerant. Residents learn more about the many perennials, annuals, vines, shrubs and trees can be used used by visiting the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden.It can include education and promotional functions.Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens are funded through a variety of means. Grants and loans are available through utilities, city, state, federal, corporate, individuals and non-profit organizations. Volunteers usually provide their time in the development and operation of the Garden.Xeriscape has come to mean "water conservation through creative landscaping". A xeriscape landscape provides many benefits:

Reduces outdoor watering requirements during the summer

Looks better than the common turf landscape

Provides tremendous color, variety and beauty, even in winter

Gives homeowners more time to enjoy their yards because they needs less watering, mowing, fertilizing and weeding

Reduces the cost of lawn maintenance

What Are Some Examples?Leora Broydo5 summarizes examples:Today more than 40 states have xeriscape projects, and because xeriscapes are based on climate, there is great variation: An upstate New York yard teeming with bee balms, sunflowers, tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinths, snowdrops, and daylilies, for example, contrasts sharply with the irises, cornflowers, yarrows, California poppies, and catchflies that thrive in Reno, Nevada. Obviously, a place doesn't haveto be parched to benefit from xeriscaping. "Most North American landscapes are a disaster ecologically," says Sally Wasowski, a landscape designer and co-author of Requiem for a Lawnmower6. "The whole public has been trained to overwater and overfertilize."Finding what grows well in your yard is key to an effective xeriscape. One rule of the green thumb: Choose plants that are native to within a 50-mile radius of your home. Native plant societies, water districts, and university extension departments often keep such lists. Many cities also have xeriscape

5 Mother Jones, May/June, 19976 Requiem for a Lawnmower: Gardening in a Warmer, Drier World by Sally and Andy Wasowski


6demonstration gardens.Another trick to a successful xeriscape is grouping together plants with similar water needs. For instance, you wouldn't put thirsty roses next to cacti -- the water required for one would be wasted on the other (not to mention they'd have nothing to talk about). Xeriscaping also allows for an "oasis zone," where gardeners grow a few prized water-guzzling plants. The oasis zone is often located in the front of a home where these plants can be easily watered and admired.There are many examples (perhaps hundreds) of Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens in the United States. Most are found in the states of Colorado, Arizona and California. But, even Texas7 lists 35 SmartScape demonstration gardens. None are in Central Texas. SmartScape is another name for xeriscape chosen perhaps to demonstration innovativeness but more likely because the term xeriscape is not accepted in some cultures.

Glendale Xeriscape Garden8

These Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens have the following characteristics:

Free to public

4 to 7.5 acres

7 Texas SmartScape, txsmartscape.com8 https://www.facebook.com/GlendaleAzGarden


7 Wide variety of plants and trees

Seminars and workshops

Publications of guides to plants, shrubs and trees, how to guides, resources for help, and design examples

Garden art

Interpretive signage and self guided audio tours

Connection with local schools

The following is an example of Xeriscape Demonstration Garden for the City of Fargo.


8What Are the Benefits of Xeriscaping?The City of San Diego has an extensive list of the benefits of xeriscaping in their discussion of their Xeriscape Demonstration Garden in connection with their Ridgehaven office building:

Environmental Benefits

Water ConservationDrought tolerant and native plants, efficient irrigation, and minimization of high-water use landscape areas conserve approximately 50 percent of landscaping water.

Pollution PreventionHearty native plants require less water and fertilizer, reducing the risk of polluted runoff entering local waterways and the ocean.

Energy SavingsEnergy efficient outdoor lighting uses 90 percent less electricity than traditional lights. Strategically planted shade trees reduce the "heat island" effect caused by large asphalt parking areas, and minimize cooling requirements of the building and sun damage to parked vehicles.

Reduced WasteReplacing lawn areas with plants that require less pruning reduces green waste, and the use of recycled products such as mulch, recycled plastic lumber, and rubberized asphalt enhances markets for recycled materials.

Economic Benefits

Lower Energy BillsEnergy-efficient lighting and reduced demand on building cooling systems can save thousands of dollars in annual electric bills.

Reduced Fuel CostsEnergy-hungry lawn mowers and noisy leaf blowers have been exchanged for simple pruning shears and hand rakes, thereby reducing fuel costs. This will help to conserve our limited supply of fossil fuelsand improve air quality.

Reduced Waste Disposal CostsLandscaped areas that produce less green waste reduce waste hauling and disposal fees, trips to the landfill, and the many associated costs of landfill operations and maintenance.


9Social Benefits

Improved Work EnvironmentFlowering plants, pathways, fountains and other natural and architectural features greatly improve the building aesthetics, providing a beautiful setting for employees and visitors to enjoy.

Educational OpportunitiesEducational signage offers information on environmentally friendly landscape design, water conservation, plant varieties, and waste reduction. Seating for educational workshops is provided in several areas around the building.

Stress Reduction AreasThe sound of running water has long been considered a stress reliever. Recirculating fountains and landscaping at the outdoor seating areas provide employees and visitors with a relaxing place to unwind.

What Is the Marshall Tract?

The Marshall Tract is 38 acres bounded on the west and south by Lost Creek, on the north by Las Cimas Office Park, and the east by Loop 360 and Vista Ridge office buildings. It has access to Lost Creek Blvd. and Loop 360. It is zoned residential. There is a walking trail Boulder Trail across it's


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north boundary. I understand that it also has an old burial on the grounds.If it were to be developed residential, Austin's ordinance on Parkland Dedication would require the developer to dedicate between 1 and 4.2 acres of land for a park (Or provide between $494K and $1.2M for a park9.A sale of the land is proposed if the zoning can be changed from residential to office. If it were to be fully developed as an office, it would be the largest office development in the area.

Why Does Lost Creek Need a Park with a Garden?There are six reasons Lost Creek needs a park:

If Lost Creek had been developed under the Austin Parkland Dedication ordinance, approximately 20 acres would have been set aside for parks10. Lost Creek has nowhere near thatamount.

It has a small Lost Creek Neighborhood Park (probably a half acre) dedicated to children, but nothing for education or seniors. And, it has Boulder Trail Park (about 2 acres) but it is for walking only and part of the trail crossing the Marshall Tract.

While it has access to the Barton Creek Wilderness Park, the closest real park is Zilker Park. There is no park serving the whole West Bank region.

If the Marshall tract was to be developed into residences, an additional 1 to 4 acres would be added as park land.

Lost Creek uses a large percentage of its water for landscaping. A Xeriscape Demonstration Garden would allow Lost Creek to learn about xeriscaping and educate others. It could become the model for how to transform a neighborhood and maintain or probably increase is value as a place to live.

If Lost Creek doesn't xeriscape, with the continuing drought, it will lose all the lawns. People who want to drill their own wells for landscape watering should be prevented from doing so.

Why Should the Marshall Tract not be Developed Other than into a Park?

As an Office DevelopmentThere is already two schools and 1,000,000 square feet of office space whose occupants and visitors must come and or leave through the intersection of Lost Creek Blvd. and Loop 360. Loop 360 is already classified as a congested roadway by the Mobility Investment Priorities Project11. The rapid growth of Austin over the last several decades has exacerbated traffic congestion on Loop 360, as the city has nearly doubled in size every twenty years. Geography and environmental constraints contributeto limiting the right of way, complicating expansion plans, because this particular segment of 360

9 Depending on the number of residences and the density of residences. The estimates could be higher if the number of houses and density were higher.

10 This has to be verified by a more precise measures of the number of dwelling units and the number of dwelling units per acre.

11 Texas A&M Transportation Institute


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crosses over the Barton Creek Greenbelt, an environmentally sensitive area. Continued development of office space in the area will increase traffic congestion all over the city as people have to commute tothe area. Rapid transit systems have to play a role in solving Austin traffic congestion problems and it itis not likely that a rapid transportation system would reach this area of office development.

As a Residential DevelopmentResidential development of this tract will increase traffic congestion, place large burdens on an already strained water supply and sewage disposal systems, and increase demand for public schools already with financial challenges.

As EitherThe tract should not be developed as a new residential or office area until Loop 360 is improved. Loop 360 is listed as number 25 of Texas Top 100 Transportation Challenges and Improvements Needed to Address Them by TRIP12. Loop 360 from US 290 to RM 2244 is the only Western bypass loop in the area, as well as a major commuter route that experiences significant congestion. The construction of grade separations at major intersecting roadways is needed to relieve traffic congestion on this corridor.

12 Founded in 1971, TRIP of Washington, DC, is a nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues.


12

Lost Creek Park Areas in Green


13

Park Areas in Austin West


Xeriscape Demonstration GardenProposal for the Marshall TractWhat is Xeriscaping?Why Do We Need Xeriscaping?Agricultural NeedsOur Water Supplies Are Dangerously LowParoxysmal Weather PatternsGlobal Climate ChangePopulation IncreaseTraditional Landscaping Uses Too Much Water

What Is a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden?What Are Some Examples?What Are the Benefits of Xeriscaping?Environmental BenefitsWater ConservationPollution PreventionEnergy SavingsReduced Waste

Economic BenefitsLower Energy BillsReduced Fuel CostsReduced Waste Disposal Costs

Social BenefitsImproved Work EnvironmentEducational OpportunitiesStress Reduction Areas

What Is the Marshall Tract?Why Does Lost Creek Need a Park with a Garden?Why Should the Marshall Tract not be Developed Other than into a Park?As an Office DevelopmentAs a Residential DevelopmentAs Either

Documents

Xeriscape Demonstration Garden: A Proposal for the Marshall Tract