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c:roclimates. This step provides the basis lor utiliz- Ing available site moisture, Ihus reducing Irrigation needs. The process should resu" In the matching 01 plant material with the correct site conditions to ensure both long term survival, plant material health, and a steady growth rate, with the applica- tion ollinte or no supplementat water. The land. scape architect must do an on-site evalualion 01 site specilic varlables, Including topography, slope, exposure, reflected light, shade, soils, nor- mal soU moisture 'evels and aIr movement belore beginning any actual design work. These slle spe- citic laClore should dlClate design leatures and plant seleCllon. Plant material should not be 'orced' Into an environment where it would not nor- mally grow, nor should the landscape architect as- sumethe right conditions will be 'created' through the application 01 an unlimited amount 01 supple. menta' irrigation, Naturally moist areas, lower lying regions. drainage basins and swales which chan- nel or coiled runofl. and shaded areas provide op- portunities lor the use 01 those plants which re- quire more water, such as cottonwoods, Matching plant malerial to a lavorablelocation also takes ad- vantage of a particular specill's evolved ability to handle the environmental stresses encountered at the site, which can subsequenl/y reduce malnle- nance requirements. The process 01 site evalua- tion and matching plant material to environmental conditions eliminates the struggle 01 attempting to keep a landscape alive and heallhy under adverse conditions. 2) SOIL IMPROVEMENTS Soil qualily directly influences the survival chanc- es and future growth rate of any landscaping. Site spec~ic soil analysis should bll done lor each pro- jact and will indicate any needed supplemllnls such as organic materials, sand, sullur, lime, gyp- sum or lartilizer. Soil improvements increase waler absorption and water holding capacity, Refar to Appendix D lor mora on Soil Preparation and im- provements, 3) LIMIT TURF AREAS A reduction 01 the turf area Is necessary to achieve signlticant water savings since turf grass- es require more Irequenlirrigalion Ihan most other plants, Landscape leatures which reduce turf are- as and also add interest to the landscape arll: tree and shrub beds, wildflower plantings, groundcov- ars, and mulches, Rock, cobble and other mulch- es can be used In moderation to providll color ac- cents, while lurther raduclng the size 01 the turf area, 4\ EFFICIENT IRRIGATION A properly designed and maintained irrigation sys- tem is another important component ot xeriscap- ing, The Irrigation systam ot each landsceping pro- ject should be designed by a certified irrigation consullanl. The goal of efficient irrigation is to ap- ply only the amount of water necessary lor ade- quate plant growth and eliminale Ihe wasle rasull- Ing from runoff and 'warerlng' the pavemenl. Efficient irrigation design should also Include: . planl/ngs grouped according to simltar waler requirements. . using water conserving, low volume drip, bub- bler and micros pray systems In planting bods, . Insralling precipitation and soil moisture Slln- .. :1 sors which shut off the Irrigation system when there is adequate natural preclp~atlon. . Correcting water pressures w~h pressure re- ducing valves; over-pressurization causes water waste. . Maintain uniform precipilation rates within each zone . Remote control devices which inc:rease sys- tem lllllclency through time and man-power savings. With a remote control device, one person Is able to check an llntire system lor problema and make needed repairs or adjust- ments, . Avoid large sprinkler heads In small STeas . At least a 3-4 inch pop-up height for hllads . Check valves should be installed under all low heads For even greater efficiency, Irrigation should be done al night when there Is a lower water demand, tess wind and less evaporation, See Appendix E for Irrigation Design Guidelines. 5) USE MULCHES Mulched planting beds reduce turf areas, minimize evaporation, retard weed growth. slow erosion and add intereslto the landscape. 16.