HomeMy WebLinkAbout0195.091,
April 4 ~ 1991
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
DROUGHT IMPACT
Members of the Council:
Report in Brief
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This is an informational report on the status cf landscape plants I
trees, anrl turf at City facilities in the fifth year ot the
drought. Also included is information regarding decisions we will
have to make concerning further reductions to, or elimination of
irrigation to public landscaping. As more detailed inforIDation
regarding the exact amount of reductions required for 1991 becomes
availahle, a more detailed report on the 1991 Parks and Golf
Division Irrigation Management program, ~ith site specifics; will
be presented to Council.
PARKS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
'furf and landscape irrigation has been reduced :by at least 28
percent at all parks facilities for ~he past three y&ars.
Deterioration of turf grass areas," particularly high use field
areas., and shrubs and ground cover materials is becoming more
evident. Further water reductions will resul·t in the elimination
of irrigation of turf grass areas at some community c~nters, fire
houses, utility stations and other City facilities in order to
conserve water for high use field areas~
Shrubs and other landscape plant materials ~ill be irrigated with
only enough -.:ater to ensure lninilf,al plant growth and survival.
Median strip irriqation will be eliminated, as well as any ground
covers vhich died due to the freeze-of December 1990.
Roadside sbrubbery on Oregon Expressway ~ill be irrigated at the
lowest level needed to preserve the sound barrier characteristics
intendea.
utilities is presently considering a multi-account plan for
customers with mul tiple facilities who may l.tish to sacrifice in one
a~ea or building in order to use more at another~
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Multi-account customers will be able to add individual allocations
and redistribute them as they deeIII most appropriate. This will
allow us to utilize water saved at one site for another site. If
this 1s not acceptable, extreme me~5ures ~ill have to he taken at
all sites, including the athletic fields~ to ensure usage within
allocatea limits. CUrrent planning also includes the use of rental
water tanks to transport reclaimed water to City facilities for
shrub and tree irrigation.
MUNICIPAL GO!.F COURSE
The culmination of four years ot drought has resulted in severely
deteriorated conditions of the turf at the Golf Course. over 40
acres of turf have been removed from irrigation, resulting in loss
of trees and turfqrass and an increase of salt levels in all
ramaininq areas. Tbe 1991 Golf Irrigation Management program will
call f~r complete elimination of irrigation along Embarcadero Road
and at all clubhouse areas, and further reductions on the Gol f
Course~ Revenues may be aftected if the contin~ing decline results
in a request to hold current fCEs at 1990-91 levels due to the poor
conditions a
A decline in the customer "u.se patte!'"ns because of the worsening
conditions 'Will af"fect not only qalt" revenues, but al$o revenue
from the qolf shop, range and restaurant use.
OPEN SPACE ~
The irrigatjon of Foothills Park turf ~r~as hdS been cut back by at
least 25 percent during thl! drought. Additional reductions in
irrigation will seriously affect the wisual appearance and density
of the turfqrass areas. Reductions in excess of 50 percent ~il1
pLobably result in loss of all of the turf.
At Borond.a Lake, no water ha3 been added this past year. The water
level is currently 2 1/2 feet below full. and if no water is added
bafore winter of 1991, the lake 'Will drop another :2 to 3 feet~
This will probably net affect the fish, as the deeper parts of the
lake 'Will still have 5 to 6 feet of water. It is not anticipated
that closing the lake will be necessary in 1991; but if another
drought year follo~s and ~ater is not added, it may be necessary to
close the lake in 1992 for safety reasons.
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The Baylands Duck Pond elP ror Water Filtration System improvements.
is in progress. This should be completed by the summer of 19S1 and
'Will result in the ability to reduce 'Water use for refilling
purposes and not have an effect on the water level or birds ~hich
use the pond.
URBAN TREES
Drought aamage to landscape trees has been evident during the last
two years. TWo parameters control the vulnerability of trees to
arouqht, species ana the d~pth of root systemsr certain species,
usually riparian natives, exhaust allot their resources and die
soon after the source of water is gone. These include birch~
tulip, liquidambar, maple" alder and magnolia. Redwood is alsc
vulnerab~e outside of its native fog belt. Other species may
survive a dry season with some damage by going semi-dor.mant, but
even these may not last through more dry seasons.
Host landscape trees in Palo Alto 3re planted in or near irrigated
turfgrass areas. When a c~nstant supply of water is available at
the sur.face~ roots develop at a shalloW' leveL without irriqation~
the surfi',ce roots dry out quickly and die. To make matters worse,
many areas of Palo Alto have very little or no top!:'oil over the
dense clay ~.y Mud; and roots have a tendency to stay close to tbe
surface to obtain adequate aeration. Most trees will survive a 50
percent ~ater reduction, if they are heavily mulched ever much of
their root areas and ~atered aeeply once or twice a month.
Existing staffing levels and funding may have to be adjusted and
redirected to accomplisb this task. and some irrigation programs
TJil~ have to be adjusted to compensate for 'ilo'atel"' applications to
maintain survivability of trees.
In summary, Palo Alto is facing some difficult decisions regarding
the appearance of community landscapes. Turfgrass areas will nat
be irrigated in some places, resulting in brown lawns; some parks
facilities will be less than adequate for public usage; and trees
in the landscape will continue to decline in the coming year.
Major efforts will be Eade to preserve trees and shrubs~ as they
take years to grow to maturity levels. Future planning must take
into consideration replacement costs for turf and landscape
materials which ~ill be lost.
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Immed.iate planning has to reflect the fact that. trees. turf and
lands~ape are like large environmental air filters --they take In
v.ast amounts of pollutants .from. the a.tmosphere and convert them
into oxygen. As a result, lost greensc3pes need to he ~eplaced in
Qrder to reduce atmospheric degradation due to loss of turf and
landscape plants.
Resrpet \Y submitted,
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Paul Di.as
Director of Parxs , Golf
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Juni. Flelllinq / /
Assistant City Hana~er
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CHR:195:91
Paul Thiltgen
Director of Community Services
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