The Seven Principles of River-Friendly Landscaping were developed to provide an
integrated approach to landscaping that helps to protect and sustain the
Sacramento environment and its waterways by decreasing waste, reducing pollutant runoff
and soil erosion,
improving air and water quality, and protecting wildlife habitat.
The listing below identifies many of practices that support the seven
principles. More detail can be found in the
River-Friendly
Landscape Guidelines, available for download. In addition, hyperlinks provide further details for specified practices.
|
RFL Practice |
Benefits |
|
LANDSCAPE LOCALLY — take into account the
existing site characteristics |
| Consider climate, sun exposure, and soil
type when
selecting plants |
Plants are stronger and healthier, reducing
need for water, fertilizer, and pest control. |
| Avoid using invasive species |
We avoid having invasive plants escaping
into our natural areas, where they can spread rapidly and outcompete
natives, degrade wildlife habitat, and increase fire danger. |
|
LANDSCAPE FOR LESS TO THE
LANDFILL |
|
Grasscycle (leave the grass clippings on
the lawn after mowing) |
Reduces green waste, saves time and money,
and contributes to a vigorous lawn. |
| Use on-site plant debris as
mulch |
Keeping plant debris on-site
returns valuable nutrients and organic matter to the soil, improving
soil and plant health. It also reduces the cost and pollution associated
with transporting it off-site. |
|
Compost on-site plant debris |
| Choose plants that can grow to their
natural size in the space allotted them |
Plants require less pruning which results
in less green waste. |
| Reduce, reuse, and recycle construction
waste (concrete, bricks, etc.) for landscape features |
Reduces waste, conserves natural
resources, strengthens market for recycled products. |
|
NURTURE THE SOIL — promote beneficial soil
organisms |
| Amend the soil with compost before planting |
Fosters a diverse, fertile, and disease
suppressive soil, resulting in stronger, healthier plants. Improves soil structure, aeration,
and water holding capacity. |
|
Mulch
regularly |
Mulch conserves water, suppresses weed
growth, and improves soil structure. |
| Feed soils naturally; avoid synthetic,
quick release fertilizers |
Compost and
mulch naturally feed the soil.
Slow release fertilizers make nutrients available to the plants when
they
are needed, resulting in a more even rate of growth. |
|
CONSERVE WATER |
| Minimize/eliminate lawn |
Lawn requires much more water to keep
healthy than other landscape plants. By reducing or eliminating the lawn
area, you will be conserving water and energy, as well as reducing the
need for fertilizers and pesticides. |
| Grow low-water use California natives or Mediterranean
plants |
Native and
Mediterranean plants are naturally suited to our climate, thereby requiring
less soil preparation, watering, mowing, fertilizing, and spraying. Using local natives
reduces the risk of spreading invasive species. |
| Design, install, and maintain high efficiency irrigation
systems |
Conserves water by limiting evaporation and
runoff. Also reduces plant diseases and minimizes weed growth. |
|
CONSERVE ENERGY |
| Plant and protect trees to shade homes,
paved areas, and air conditioners |
When properly placed, mature trees can reduce the interior
temperature of a building by as much as 20 degrees, reducing summer
cooling costs by 25-40%.
Air conditioner run more efficiently when shaded. |
| Avoid unnecessary outdoor lighting |
Saves energy |
|
PROTECT WATER & AIR QUALITY |
| Choose pest-resistant plant varieties |
Reduces/eliminates the need for
pesticides, thereby protecting the health of local waterways |
| Include plants that support beneficial
insects |
| Use manual tools in place of power tools |
Reduces air and water pollutants that
result from the use of power tools |
|
CREATE & PROTECT WILDLIFE
HABITAT |
| Create diversity by choosing California
native plants first |
A diverse landscape better resists disease
and insect pests. Natives flourish with less water, fertilizer, and
maintenance, and foster local wildlife |
| Reduce/eliminate the use of pesticides and
herbicides |
Beneficial organisms are not harmed,
allowing them to keep pests under control. |
| Provide water & shelter |
Water and shelter support wildlife and add
interesting elements to the
landscape. |
