Marines Practice Water Conservation

Several ongoing landscaping projects throughout the Yuma air station in Arizona are part of a water conservation project.

The process, known as xeriscaping, is intended to minimize the station's water usage by replacing high maintenance plant life with more hardy, local vegetation.

"Four years ago, the base used the 300 acre-feet of water it's allotted per year, which has never happened in the 60 years the base has been here," said Larry Leake, station facilities director.

To prevent the overuse of its water supply, approximately $700,000 was allotted to the air station for 12 xeriscaping projects for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

That's the most grounds projects we've seen since I've been here, said Leake, who has worked at the air station since 1995.

Despite the scope of the projects, they shouldn't interfere with Marines' day-to-day activities, said John Jackson, project manager for The Centers for Habilitation, which manages grounds maintenance on station.

"We're trying to work around the Marines so that this landscaping affects them as little as possible," Jackson said.

New plant life being transplanted here includes palo verde, mesquite and Chinese pistache trees, as well as Texas sage and the Mexican bird of paradise.

By planting vegetation more natural to this environment, maintenance costs will decrease substantially, said Leake. The new landscaping only requires drip irrigation systems.

"The project at building 151 saved the base about 1 million gallons of water over the course of a year," said Jackson. "There were several pine trees there, which take a lot of water to maintain in a desert environment."

Furthermore, the project is environmentally friendly and beneficial to the community.

"All of the landscape we're taking out of here is being recycled," said Jackson. "The plant life is being burned, and the ash, which is a nitrogen compound, is being used as fertilizer to aid the West Wetlands Park. Again, the base is helping the community like it always has."

Project locations include the station headquarters building, pass and registration, which have both been completed. The Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron building 722 is currently underway, while the Marine Aircraft Group 13 headquarters building, base operations, building 510 and barracks 660, 662, 912, 914, 916, 918 and 920 are slated to be completed by the end of May.