Drought-resistant landscape replaces grass at Merced fire station

A landscaping crew began work Monday to remove a patch of grass behind the Merced fire station on 16th Street so it can be replaced with drought-resistant plants and other materials.

Battalion Chief Mark Walker said the roughly 2,000 square feet of grass needed improvements because water would drain off of the grass and into the parking lot.

The Merced Fire Department had a budget of about $5,000 to make changes to the landscape, he said. So the department decided to take the opportunity to reduce its water waste. “We’re trying to do our part to conserve water,” Walker said.

He estimated that between the changes to the lawn and the department’s other efforts to reduce water use, Station 51 will be able to use about 40 percent less water than the average year.

The department hired Yard Masters, a Merced-based company that also contracts with the city, to remove the grass and replace it.

Juan Pelayo, who owns Yard Masters, said his employees will remove the lawn’s sprinklers and put in drip irrigation, which will allow the yard to use less water.

The outdoor space will get some plants that need less water than grass, like flax, hawthorn, crepe myrtle and others. He said those hearty plants also provide some color when they flower.

Still, he said, the drip irrigation will allow the landscapers to plant a nectarine and a peach tree. Part of the outdoor space will be covered with crushed stones and it may also see some artificial grass, Pelayo said.

Walker said the fire stations around town are maintained by the firefighters who are stationed there. He said all of the stations are have new plans to reduce lawn sprinkling as well as change how much water is used inside the stations, which are home to several firefighters during any shift.

He said having less lawn to maintain could also free up firefighters for other jobs, like responding to code enforcement calls. “We’re going to see a reduction in the amount of time that it takes firefighters to perform landscaping duties here at the fire station,” he said. “That’ll also offer them more opportunities to provide services to the public.”

Water has been on the minds of many in the Merced area as the state is in its fourth year of drought. Though the city has had a number of water saving rules in place for years, the Merced City Council this month implemented even stricter constraints.

The most recent changes were a response to the State Water Resources Control Board decision last month to require Merced, as well as cities like Atwater, Modesto, Oakdale and Ripon, to reduce water use by 36 percent.

This story was originally published June 15, 2015 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Drought-resistant landscape replaces grass at Merced fire station."