Canon City Xeriscape Demo Final Report

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. FUNDING SOURCES AND EXPENDITURES . . The City of Caiion City applied for and received two mini-grants to help fund the xeriscape project. $5000 was received from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and $5000 was received from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The City ofCaiion City contributed $25,000 in local funds to the xeriscape project and began installation in the fall of 1997, The project was substantially completed in the summer of 1998. The cost of the irrigation system materials totaled $7830.43. Plant materials and hydroseeding amounted to $8686.65. The two mini-grants were applied towards the cost of the irrigation system and plant materials. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION METHODS The following services and methods of construction were used to complete the xeriscape project: . Professional services - The City of Caiion City retained the services of a professional landscape architect to design the Police Department Xeriscape Demonstration Garden Project. City staff along with the landscape architect reviewed xeriscape gardens at the Denver Water Board main office and the City of Colorado Springs, Water Division Operations Center. The final design incorporated various aspects of the areas reviewed. Contractual services - A private contractor was used to install the concrete sidewalks and handicap ramps. The sidewalks were installed to delineate and separate the different types of plants and grasses and to provide pedestrian access for viewing of the gardens. A company that specializes in hydro seeding was retained to install the various types of grasses used in the project. In-house labor forces - The City of Caiion City provided field labor from the Parks Department to install the irrigation system, amend the soils, install landscape rocks, plant trees, shrubs and perennials, install weed barriers and landscape wood chips or pea gravel. The Director of Parks provided the administrative services to assure the project was completed in accordance with the plans. . . XER1SCAPE METHODOLOGY The plan was to employ as many of the known xeriscape methods as possible. During the development of the site plan, it was decided to demonstrate how native grasses look and consume water versus traditional turf grass lawns, The first and most important key to a successful xeriscape project is soil preparation. The soils found in the immediate vicinity of the Police Department were typical of construction sites. The soils were mixed with native clay, road base gravel, debris and weeds. City crews removed as 2