Palm Springs to re-seed lawns

The velvety grass familiar in Coachella Valley winters will soon be sprouting up in all the familiar areas in Palm Springs, like the lawns fronting the airport and the Village Green.

Officials with Palm Springs presented a plan to the Desert Water Agency that would allow the city to resume the seasonal reseeding of some public areas in Palm Springs. The annual process where summer’s Bermuda grass is cut short, and then landscapers reseed with winter rye grass is water-intensive. Water agencies across the region have asked cities, homes and businesses to forgo the practice this year as the region and state come under mandatory water cutbacks.

However, Palm Springs has cut back its water use considerably since the state mandated 36 percent cutbacks from customers served by DWA. The city points out it reduced water use 43 percent in June and 49 percent in July, compared to the same months a year ago, according to an Oct. 2 letter sent from city offices to DWA. Palm Springs -- largely regarded as DWA's largest customer -- have since released follow-up data showing the city reduced its water use 45.1 percent in August and 38.5 percent in September, compared to the same months last year.

“The City’s water conservation efforts surpassed the state-mandated reduction of 36 percent imposed on DWA by 13 percent,” the letter reads.

Because of these savings, DWA officials agreed with the city re-seeding plan, which would include nightly watering – not to exceed 14 days – of Francis Stevens Park, Village Green, baseball fields in Sunrise Park, Palm Springs International Airport lawn areas along El Cielo and Ramon roads as well as the grounds around the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and Demuth Park, which use recycled water.

“So, there will be green grass in those areas, as we get into the winter,” Tom Nolan, director of the Palm Springs airport, told the Palm Springs Airport Commission at its Oct. 21 meeting. “Planting will occur soon. And we are allowed to water that area as much as necessary to get it to sprout and take hold.”

Other public spaces in Palm Springs that would normally be re-seeded with the winter grass will continue with the Bermuda grass lawn, which may not look as attractive in the winter months.

The request by Palm Springs comes as water agencies have put water-conservation cutbacks in place, and the state water board fined the Coachella Valley Water District and the Indio Water District $61,000 each in October for failing to meet state reduction targets.

The fines were a long time coming. From June through September, homes and businesses served by the Coachella Valley Water District cut back just 27.1 percent, 9 percent shy of their 36 percent target. Indio hit 21.6 percent in water reduction, missing its target goal of 32 percent by a little over 10 percent.

None of the six local water districts have hit their conservation goals when taking into account water use June through September. Overall, consumption by DWA is down 30.8 percent over the four-month period.

DWA officials approved the reseeding plan proposed by city officials for Palm Springs with the caveat that the city’s water use must not inch up during the reseeding process.

“We will be tracking your water consumption and if your plan does not achieve at least 36 percent savings, you will be asked to return to the mandatory watering schedule or submit an amended plan with additional water conservation measures,” wrote Ashley Hudgens, public information officer for DWA, in a letter to the city of Palm Springs.