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<br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS <br /> <br />One cornerstone of Xeriscape is the improvement of soil. With the high-clay soils typical to this <br />region, a standard recommendation is to incorporate organic matter into the soil prior to landscaping. <br />This recommendation is based upon the undisputed fact that the organic matter will provide <br />horticultural benefits from the improved soil structure, particularly due to increased soil aeration. <br /> <br />The recommendation is also made based upon the assumption that there will be less water wasted <br />from runoff. That mayor may not be true. It is an undisputed fact that water is more likely to run <br />off of an unamended clay soil than an amended clay soil, particularly when the water is applied at a <br />high rate and when the soil is on a slope. However, it is quite possible in "real life" that <br />homeowners with unamended soils don't apply water at rates high enough, nor have landscapes sloped <br />steep enough, to result in more runoff. It is also very possible that homeowners in general do not <br />closely monitor their watering practices, with an equivalent amount of over-watering whether the soil <br />has been amended or not. The objective of this research study was to determine if less water is, in <br />fact, used by homeowners that amend their soils with composted manure, as compared with those that <br />don't. <br /> <br />IMPLEMENTATION <br /> <br />OVERVIEW <br /> <br />In the study, landscape water use was compared between 30 new home owners (Group I) that did not <br />amend their soil with commercial compost, and 50 new home owners (Group 2) that did. All of the <br />homes were within the city of Fort Collins, and built during the period of late 1992 to mid 1993. <br />Their landscapes were installed during the 1993 growing season. As required by the 1990 state water <br />meter act, all of the homes were metered, thereby providing the ability to monitor their water use. <br /> <br />VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT <br /> <br />All participants received $25 to compensate them for their time to provide research data. Group 2 <br />subjects received an additional $75 to partially offset the cost of amending their soil. A variety of <br />methods was used to recruit participants, including: <br /> <br />phone and mail contacts with local homebuilders <br /> <br />phone and mail contacts with local landscaping contractors and sod growers <br /> <br />a news release, resulting in an article in the local daily newspaper <br /> <br />door-delivered flyers to several hundred newly-built homes <br /> <br />postcards mailed to approximately 300 new homeowners <br /> <br />followup phone contact with several hundred new homeowners <br />