IMG_3632 Blumenfield Cuts Ribbon at New Water-Wise Demonstration Garden in the West Valley

New landscaping at the West Valley Municipal Center and branch library will educate while conserving water. 

RESEDA, CA – As part of his ongoing work to “green the Valley,” Councilmember Bob Blumenfield today cut the ribbon on the new Blumenfield Water-Wise Demonstration Garden at the West Valley Municipal Center in Reseda. Prior to its completion the project had already saved several hundred thousand gallons of water.

The project, a partnership between Blumenfield’s office, the Department of General Services, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and the Department of Recreation and Parks, replaced 20,000 square feet of thirsty lawn at the West Valley Municipal Center and neighboring West Valley Library with a variety of California friendly landscaping options.

In a recent year-to-year comparison, water use at the West Valley Municipal Center has plummeted by 84%, a savings of 361,000 gallons from March 2014 through March 2015, over the previous 12 months. It is expected that the new water-wise irrigation system will cut future water use by half, with estimated annual water savings for a project of this size totaling approximately 500,000 gallons.

“What was once a patch of ailing lawn is now a place for West Valley residents to admire, inspire, and enjoy,” said Blumenfield. “By replacing our thirsty lawns with California friendly landscaping, the City of Los Angeles is leading the way and educating Valley residents on the range of options for turf replacement, while saving the City water.”

The new garden showcases different styles and plant alternatives, including Mediterranean, California native, and southwest styles, which serve to guide and inform local residents in their efforts to remove thirsty turf, while lowering the City’s overall water use in a time of unprecedented drought conditions. Work was completed by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps who utilized the project as part of their job training initiative.

The West Valley Municipal Center houses Councilmember Blumenfield’s Reseda District Office, and locations for 5 City departments. The surrounding West Valley community has a high water use for turf on large single family residential lots but has had a relatively low participation in the turf rebate program. 

“The Department of General Services welcomed the opportunity to partner with Councilman Blumenfield and his office, the Los Angeles Public Library Department, the Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to bring this demonstration project to the residents of the West Valley community,” said General Services Department General Manager Tony Royster.

“The Blumenfield Water-Wise Demonstration Garden serves as a model of what homeowners can achieve by swapping out their traditional grass lawns with California Friendly landscaping. With 50% of the city’s drinking water being used for outdoor irrigation, our goal is to whittle down that number, one lawn transformation at a time,” said Board of Water and Power Commissioner Jill Banks Barad.

The Los Angeles Public Library West Valley Regional branch is a project participant and has incorporated educational exhibits and programming to expand the outreach for the project, including hosting Blumenfield’s water-wise workshop this past summer.

“”We are thrilled that this beautiful water-wise garden surrounds the West Valley Regional Branch Library, and here, we will continue to do what we do best—serve as an educational resource for the community: hosting exhibits, learning opportunities and programs about the garden and other water conservation efforts to help Valley residents adopt best practices,” said City Librarian John F. Szabo.

“Councilmember Blumenfield’s leadership and vision for a beautiful and water-wise Los Angeles is evident in this project. Water conservation continues to be a priority of our City and we encourage residents to consider turf reduction as part of their home improvement projects,” said Michael A. Shull, General Manager, Department of Recreation and Parks

“The city as a whole, has a lot to be proud of. In August, Los Angeles met state water conservation goals by achieving a 17.4 percent reduction in water usage when compared to the same month in 2013. The Blumenfield Water-Wise Demonstration Garden helps to show, there is always an opportunity for us to conserve water, whether it’s on a large or small scale,” said Marty Adams, LADWP Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System.

Blumenfield has also taken similar steps at his Woodland Hills home, replacing 1,750 square feet of turf with California friendly landscaping.

As Vice-chair of the City’s Energy and Environment Committee, Blumenfield has been pushing the City to take innovative new approaches to beat the drought, including: convening a work-group of the City’s largest water and energy customers to work collaboratively to cut usage, instructing City Departments to utilize drought-tolerant landscaping for City facilities, ensuring Angelenos have access to cost-effective home water upgrades through Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, and adding environmentally friendly artificial turf to the menu of options available to Angelenos interested in replacing their parkways with low water alternatives.