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<br />Attachment B <br />Sustainable Development in Colorado - Water Efficient Landscaping, <br />Irrigation System Efficiency, and Precipitation Management: <br />Matching Grant Study Proposal <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Douglas County residents' primary water supply is the Denver Basin Aquifers, a series of <br />deep groundwater reserves located below the County. Although Denver Basin <br />groundwater is currently considered an ample source of water, as demand increases in the <br />future and supplies become depleted, it will become more difficult and costly to produce <br />sufficient water to meet growing demands. Already, some individual well users located <br />in northwestern portions of the County are witnessing dramatic drops in the water table <br />and reduced production rates. <br /> <br />Some water providers in the area have already taken measures to preserve groundwater, <br />but additional efforts are needed to meet future demands. Three strategies that hold great <br />potential for saving water and promoting ecologically aware use of existing resources <br />include I) water efficient landscaping, 2) improved irrigation system efficiency, and 3) <br />precipitation management. Joint applicants Dominion Water and Sanitation District, <br />Castle Pines North Metropolitan District, and Douglas County hereby submit this <br />proposal for a matching grant of $47,500.00 to fund what we believe will be an <br />innovative approach toward achieving true sustainability of water supplies in Douglas <br />County. Benefits can accrue to existing well users in rural areas, commercial and <br />residential developments that rely on groundwater, and can be incorporated into new <br />planned developments. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />The proposed study intends to combine a review of the existing literature and studies <br />concerning the use of water efficient landscaping and irrigation system efficiencies as <br />applied to the northwest Douglas County area, with an audit of precipitation management <br />utilizing new engineering studies and data, in an effort to review the combination of the <br />three strategies as components of a total water management approach. <br /> <br />Water efficient landscaping includes well-known xeriscaping concepts such as <br />soil analysis, appropriate plant selection, and use of practical turf areas. It can <br />also extend to the design of the landscaped area itself. The micro-topography of a <br />landscaped area can enhance the flow of irrigation water through the use of subtle <br />grade changes, guided swales, terraces, and shallow infiltration impoundments. <br /> <br />Irrigation system efficiency can be maximized through the use of properly <br />designed and located sprinklers, micro-irrigation (also known as drip irrigation), <br />hand watering, and appropriate watering intervals. Water savings can be <br />identified and quantified through proactive irrigation system audits followed by <br />recommended improvements. <br /> <br />I <br />