Sustainable Landscape, Soil & Sediment

Every new season has something beautiful to offer. As we transition from spring into summer, there’s no better time to consider planning for some sustainable landscape projects. Not only will they beautify your landscape, they’ll also play a key role in stormwater pollution prevention. Proper landscape design and plant choices that best adapt to the layout of your residence and climate zone will help to filter polluted stormwater runoff from washing into the streets and into our storm drain system. Water entering our storm drains is not treated before it reaches our local waterways and ocean, which can harm our water quality.

The County along with five other partners have developed a Sustainable Landscape Guide with informative tips and checklists for landscape-smart, stormwater-wise landscape projects. Here are just a few tips to get you started:

• Clean your garden of trash, weeds, dead plants, etc.
• Determine which plants, if any, will continue to thrive in your new landscape.
• Scope your project by planning out your improvements and making realistic choices within your budget; tackle projects one section at a time before moving on to another and make small fixes first, then bigger changes in the future.
• Contour for rain by designing the layout of your landscape to best capture and contain natural rainfall.
• Select plants that are drought-tolerant and will thrive in your San Diego Climate zone, and group them by their water needs.
• Ensure intelligent irrigation by rethinking and adjusting your irrigation system. If installing a surface drip system, put plants in the ground first. If adjusting/updating an existing system, do any trenching and moving of sprinklers before you plant.