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<br />7-8 <br /> <br />water, giving the plant only the water it needs to be healthy. ET determination can be made <br />automatically through connection with a weather station located in the field or by entering <br />data manually in the computer. At this time, the Parks Department intends to use ET <br />factors provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and to <br />manually enter these factors into the base computer. <br /> <br />With a centralized irrigation system. it is possible to automatically turn some or all <br />water on or off from the central control unit. This feature is critical during weather <br />conditions that obviate the need to irrigate. The system canoe programmed to shut off a <br />selected site if flows are abnormally high or low due to line breaks or plugs. If the City <br />experiences a drought, this system can be programmed to adjust to water availability on a <br />daily basis, either by a percentage of water use or by total gallons. Water would then be <br />applied on a ration basis, depending on necessity. In addition, a historical data base oi the <br />Parks Department's water irrigation system would be generated, providing the ability to <br />make appropriate site-specific water management decisions. <br /> <br />, <br />L <br />A <br /> <br />Effective irrigation alone has the potential for very large savings. . Studies have shown <br />up to 30 percent exterior water savings4 from knowing ET and minimum water <br />requirements for various grasses, plants and shrubs, and applying the appropriate amount <br />of water. Automatic control also allows for proper timing of irrigation during the cool, non- <br />evaporative periods of the day. . <br /> <br />The City's program, if effectively managed and maintained, can result in a 30- to 60- <br />percent savings3 of exterior use for those parks and landscapes that are irrigated with the <br />automatic system. This program is in its initial implementation stage, therefore, savings have <br />not accrued. <br /> <br />7.1.9 l..andscape Standard SpeciIication Revisions <br /> <br />The recent 1990 Boulder Standard Specifications and Details for landscaping (for <br />municipal right-of-way projects) incorporate Xeriscape principles. The specifications and <br />details include: . <br /> <br />. Topsoil requirements <br />. Mulching req~ments <br />. Plant types <br />. Seed type and mix <br /> <br />4Walker, Robert, "Snmmory of the Desert Water Agency Turf Irrigation Evaluations <br />Conducted by the C. V.R.c.n.'s Mobile Laboratory: 1987-1988". <br />