Submission: Eco-friendly approaches to landscaping can cut water usage

Amidst the bore and bustle of everyday life on campus, California’s current drought is likely an afterthought for the average UCLA student.

But the university and its students are not free from responsibility in this crisis. Since January 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown has twice declared a state of emergency regarding the drought conditions. Now, more than ever before, Californians and students need to start taking this problem seriously.

The university has already made moves to improve California’s water future, including the creation of the UCLA Water Resources Group which brings together faculty across the campus for collaboration on water conservation issues.

While the lack of water in Southern California is due in part to reduced precipitation and snowpack recession, the group’s director Madelyn Glickfeld said the heart of the problem lies in the combination of the region’s ever-growing population and the enduring attractiveness of its cities and climate.

The result is a steadily decreasing water per capita that poses a bleak future for the viability of California’s most vital resource.

A 2014 study by UCLA faculty published in the Landscape and Urban Planning journal estimated that landscaping irrigation accounts for roughly 54 percent of single-family home water use in Los Angeles.

This is perhaps the most viable aspect of household water allocation that we can focus on cutting back on. Although home ownership and personal landscaping decisions may still be years away, college students can start taking a more active interest in ensuring the availability of water resources for future generations.

One option for better landscaping – both in private residences and at UCLA – is using native vegetation that is accustomed to Southern California’s dry climate, such as cactus, yucca and aloe.

Succulents and other similar types of plants are a great alternative to non-native grasses because they are less water-intensive while also recapturing the region’s indigenous beauty.

The most water-conscious individuals can maintain a desirable landscape without exacerbating the state’s water crisis by substituting grass with rocks or wood chips.

Their use, especially in conjunction with succulents, can add a pleasing aesthetic while virtually eliminating the possibility of over-watering, which is unfortunately a common practice in many Southern California homes.

Still, there are other less drastic landscaping options that can be implemented to preserve Southern California’s paradisiac charm while cutting water usage.

By replacing grass with AstroTurf, one can also pursue a more eco-friendly approach to landscaping without departing from the grass staple that has become so characteristic of suburban America. UCLA has already shown its desire to use less water by installing a synthetic turf in the intramural field that will save 6.5 million gallons of water each year.

Although green grass has dominated traditional American notions of proper landscaping, UCLA and the rest of the Southern California region need to move forward in order to ensure the future availability of water.

The constant barrage of drought information can be overwhelming, instilling in us a sense of hopelessness and even making us insensitive to the problem, but we cannot be passively dismayed in light of current water conditions.

Every action ranging from liking the Facebook or Instagram pages for Succulents of UCLA to advocating for more water-friendly plants on campus makes a difference in helping to bring awareness to the urgency of California’s water conditions.

Lallas is a third-year environmental science student and Naftulin is a fourth-year political science student. Both are members of UCLAndscape, a group dedicated to spreading awareness about the changing landscaping methods as a means to cut local water usage.