The Importance of Landscaping in Urban and Suburban Environments

Good landscape design and management is critical in a highly developed environment.  Water quality can be threatened by urbanization, which decreases water quality and increases water use.  About one-half of the land cleared and disturbed for development is covered by impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs, and parking lots.

Lawns, ground covers, vegetation and even hardscapes are critical to managing ground water and can assist in water management and retention, filtration and purification of a watershed.  Landscapes and vegetative systems can also provide a variety of additional benefits that increase the urban forest, reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, reduce stream pollution and provide a more aesthetically pleasing and sustainable environment. 

In America’s most densely developed urban environments, it is the public and private parks, gardens, landscapes and horticulture features that support natural systems and provide people with a sustainable quality of life.  The Georgia UAC is committed to building and enhancing these values in Georgia.

Georgia Law Requires Landscaping

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission recognize the value of vegetation as it relates to land disturbing activities, impervious surfaces, storm water management, and erosion and sediment control. That is why state law requires that vegetative measures be employed at any land disturbing activity site.

Mulch, temporary vegetation or permanent vegetation is required on all exposed areas within 14 days after disturbance.  Permanent vegetation is required if an area is left undisturbed for more than 6 months, with a 70 percent coverage by perennial vegetation.

Creating healthy plant vegetation systems is a good environmental practice, and it makes life nicer for everyone around it.  The Georgia UAC is committed to supporting the state’s efforts to landscape all disturbed land in a manner that conserves water and enhances the state’s impacted natural systems.

Watering Bans and Public Policy

Several Georgia communities are imposing outdoor watering bans in an effort to address the drought conditions that have impacted Georgia in recent years.  While well meaning, the bans have the effect of imposing severe conditions on a single water use activity even though it has a very limited impact on overall water usage.  Worse, it also ignores the critical importance of maintaining healthy landscapes and turfgrasses in good environmental management.

Outdoor watering represents the smallest portion of residential water use.  According to most state water surveys, outdoor water use only accounts for 20-25 percent of all residential water use over the course of a year.  This means that indoor water use is responsible for 75 to 80 percent of all residential water use, yet no similar indoor restrictions have been recommended.  Even Governor Sonny Perdue has publicly stated that outdoor water use is “inconsequential” to Georgia’s water use picture.

The loss of landscape plant health can cause additional irrigation and storm water costs, flooding, pollution and erosion.  We do not believe that outdoor watering bans are good water management, environmental protection, or good public policy.

The urban agriculture industry is committed to being an active participant in helping Georgia through its current water crisis.  And we will continue to work with the state and local water authorities as they search for solutions to the problems that are developing daily.  But we insist that the state address the lack of water infrastructure, including water storage needs, so that it won’t become necessary to address future water shortages by placing economic hardships on one of the few industries in Georgia that plays a vital role in improving environmental standards in our rapidly urbanizing state.

The need for watering exemptions and rules during a drought

The state of Georgia has come to recognize and support the positive and essential environmental impacts of landscaping. In its Outdoor Water Use Plan rules, and in the EPD Order of Feb. 11, 2008, Georgia provides for watering to establish newly installed landscaping. 

The watering exemptions and rules are in place in Georgia for good reason – to prevent the significant environmental impacts that total bans cause, i.e. the loss of the very natural systems that help us get through a drought crisis.  Landscapes are necessary for an environmentally and economically sustainable Georgia and these exemptions and rules allow for proper installation and maintenance of these valuable natural systems.