Letter to the Editor: Turfgrass yes, but only where appropriate
11 Dec, 2009 By: Landscape Management Staff Athletic Turf NewsEditor's Note: This letter is in response to the most recent ATN column contributed by Turfgrass Producers International, "Educating the public: It's all in the delivery." We contacted the author of the original piece, TPI's public relations manager Jim Novak, who provided further comment. Both the letter and Novak's response are below:
In his Dec. 9 editorial in Athletic Turf News, "Educating the public: It's all in the delivery," Jim Novak of Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) denounces one of the Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA) marketing campaigns as an example of bad messaging. The campaign Mr. Novak refers to features "Sodman," and was specifically targeted to the business sector to encourage reconsideration of decorative turfgrass around their facilities.
Southern Nevada's effort to transform the urban landscape through decorative turf conversion is based upon sound science. The SNWA, in conjunction with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, conducted the most comprehensive study comparing water consumption of ornamental lawns to landscapes that used accepted water-efficiency principles. The five-year study found that property owners applied four times as much water to lawns as they did to water efficient landscapes (the complete study report may be downloaded by searching "xeriscape study" on SNWA.com).
As a former university horticulturist, I appreciate the value of plants in the urban environment, but I also subscribe to the mantra, "right plant, right place." Living turfgrass is most often the best choice for our parks, playing fields and gathering areas, but it is a resource-hungry choice where landscaping is predominantly ornamental. If the only feet that tread upon a lawn are those pushing the mower, it is certainly falling short of its functional potential. While many are quick to assume we're encouraging stark, lifeless landscapes, the opposite is true; our rebate programs require at least 50 percent living plant cover and many of our clients far exceed the requirement.
Southern Nevadans are intent on assuring our community continues to thrive while enjoying the benefits of urban landscaping. The SNWA encourages people to maintain appropriate, functional turf, while choosing other treatments for decorative landscape functions. Using this approach, we have succeeded in sustaining vibrant, functional landscapes in our neighborhoods, business parks and golf courses while reducing landscape water demand by almost eight billion gallons annually.
Mr. Novak acknowledges the importance of water, but seems to imply that the benefits of turfgrass far outweigh the resources to sustain it. He points out that lawns prevent erosion, produce oxygen and sequester atmospheric carbon. I won't disagree, but such statements can be made about any living plant. We need to ask ourselves which landscaping techniques can give us the greatest net benefits for the resources invested.
Over the course of the season, more than 300 tons of irrigation water are applied to each 1,000 sq. ft. of Southern Nevada's lawns. For every pound of atmospheric carbon sequestered by our region's lawns, more than 24 lbs. of carbon are discharged simply producing the power needed to deliver irrigation water.
I agree with Mr. Novak that agencies need to provide responsible information, but you can't expect to get the whole story from a single page advertisement or a billboard. The SNWA goes to great lengths to educate our community about appropriate lawn and landscape techniques and works collaboratively with green industry professionals. With a quick visit to our website, Mr. Novak would find many references to proper landscape design, installation and maintenance, including how to properly care for your lawn. A stroll through Las Vegas' world-class sustainability complex, the Springs Preserve, would take him to a living educational exhibit of different turfgrass varieties where visitors can seek guidance on improved varieties. The SNWA also promotes smart irrigation controls and other technologies that improve irrigation efficiency and is currently conducting research in conjunction with major irrigation manufacturers on high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles.
I fully expect living turfgrass to continue to play a role in our urban landscapes, even in the desert southwest. To assure that, we must be selective in choosing where and how we use it.
Doug Bennett
Conservation Manager
Southern Nevada Water Authority
TPI's response:
In response to Mr. Bennett’s comments, it should be made clear that the purpose of the article “Educating the public: It’s all in the delivery” was not intended to undermine the efforts or diminish the commitment of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, especially when it comes to their water conservation efforts. The intent of the article was to illustrate how a well intended message can sometimes be misleading or spin information in such a way as to generalize the positive or negative aspects of the given subject.
Clever copy such as, “Sod. It just doesn’t work.” or “He’s bad for business,” doesn’t really tell the whole story and generalizes the issue. The five-year study Mr. Bennett refers to that found property owners applied four times as much water to lawns as they did to water efficient landscapes is in part because many people use much more water than is necessary.
For those of us who are interested in proposing effective water conservation practices, there is a need to educate the public. The messages we use to achieve such an objective vary and so, too, does the degree of our success.
The real question is: Are we delivering the right information in the most effective way possible?
Jim Novak
Public Relations Manager
Turfgrass Producers International
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