Summary
Texas SmartScape® is an interactive “how to” guide that teaches North Central and West Texas residents the SmartScape concepts of landscaping with native and adapted plants. This innovative program encourages landscaping with beautiful native and adapted plants, which promote water conservation and require little or no pesticides or fertilizers to thrive. Photographs, artwork, environmental information, landscaping techniques, and a searchable database are integrated in the interactive SmartScape web site.
SmartScape was first created as a CD-ROM in May of 2001 as both a storm water quality best management practice for ‘New Development’ and a water conservation tool. In 2003 the web site version was launched for the North Texas region and in 2004 it was expanded into the West Texas region. During the first four years the CD was issued, over 100 entities in North Central Texas participated in distributing 140,000+ free copies and promoting its use throughout the region.
SmartScape has received several awards including the 2002 Texas Environmental Excellence Award, the 2002 Watermark Award for communications excellence and the Water Conservation/Reuse Award from the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association. The first “March is SmartScape Month” debuted in 2002, as part of regional effort to promote the benefits of SmartScape in North Texas.
SmartScape Milestones
- July 2000 - Start date to create the CD
- May 2001 - CD released to the public
- October 2001- Within six months 84,105 copies ordered/distributed in North TX by 91 participating local governments, business and other organizations
- January 2002 - SmartScape® becomes a registered trademark to protect its use as a non-profit, public education program
- March 2002 - March is Texas SmartScape Month is organized to promote SmartScape principles in North TX region
- April 2002 - SmartScape is recognized with the Watermark Award for communications excellence (1st place); and the Water Conservation/Reuse Award from the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association
- May 2002 - SmartScape receives the 2002 TCEQ Texas Environmental Excellence Award (1st place government category)
- July 2002 - SmartScape is awarded the Keep Texas Beautiful (1st place regional government category); and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (recognized 2nd in the nation for environmental projects).
- September 2002 - Five main regional water providers in North TX sponsor development of Web version
- March 2003 - The new web version is released and becomes the preferred method to provide SmartScape information; CD is secondary
- February 2004 - Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention releases their report which includes SmartScape as a case-study
- March 2004 - Lubbock begins planning to create West Texas SmartScape version
- March 2005 - Enhanced and expanded SmartScape web site debuts with the addition of the West Texas region
- October 2008 - The website has received more than 325,000 visits since it was launched in 2003
- March 2011 - The 10th annual "March is Texas SmartScape Month" is celebrated
Background
Increasing population growth in urbanized areas is impacting the natural resources and environment in North Central Texas. One consequence of this growth is increased water irrigation and changes to urban storm water runoff quality.
According to the EPA, “landscape irrigation is estimated to account for almost one-third of all residential water use” and “some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of commercial and residential water use goes to waste”.
Many residents are still unaware that their landscaping practices can result not only in wasted water, but also in pollutants being discharged in runoff to local waterways. When irrigation water is applied faster or in quantities greater than the ground can absorb, water runs down the streets and eventually into storm drains. Landscape runoff carries fertilizer, pesticides, and soil into our streams and lakes, where it degrades our local water resources as confirmed by monitoring of local waterways.
Furthermore, as new homes and business are built, new landscape plants are selected, planted and then maintained, typically by over-applying water and chemicals. Increased water usage coupled with a lack of knowledge on proper landscaping techniques has resulted in misuse of valuable water resources and more pesticides, nutrients and herbicides going into urban storm drains. In a region projected to have approximately 9.1 million people by 2030, local municipalities are addressing growing water quantity and quality concerns by promoting changes in the way residents landscape. Through a program called Texas SmartScape® , North Texans are learning how to create beautiful landscapes that will survive the rains of spring, droughts of summer, and cold snaps of winter, while also protecting our water resources.
Texas SmartScape utilizes xeriscape principles, but goes beyond the basics by providing design, care, and plant search tools that are “smart” for North Central Texas, meaning the information was specifically tailored to fit regional climate and local conditions. SmartScape provides informational tools on landscape design and maintenance, as well as a searchable database that includes over 200 plants, shrubs, and trees that will thrive in North Central Texas. The plant search Garden Tool Box displays a photograph of the plant and relevant information, such as water and light requirements, plant height, and spread to help select the best plant for the right location.
Texas SmartScape is a unique pollution prevention BMP and water conservation education tool that has surpassed initial expectations of distributing 3,000 copies to new homeowners and developers. Over 140,000 CD copies have been ordered/distributed by 100+ regional entities in North Central Texas during the first 4 years of the program. Other SmartScape innovations include the annual “March is SmartScape Month”, a regionally coordinated effort to promote the water conservation, pollution prevention, composting, and waste reduction principles of SmartScape.
Fueled by positive response from the public and media, demand for this type of interactive information continues to grow locally, statewide, and in other parts of the country such as California, South Carolina, New Mexico, and even Hawaii. SmartScape has received several awards including the 2002 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Environmental Excellence Award (1st place government category); the Watermark Award for communications excellence (1 st place and the Water Conservation/Reuse Award from the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association; Keep Texas Beautiful (1st place regional government category); and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (recognized 2nd in the nation for environmental projects).
The original SmartScape CD was created by a team of people from different professions, who voluntarily worked on this project. These include the project manager (Gene Rattan, Tarrant County), CD authoring (Keith Kennedy, Leslie Calderon, and Lee Evans, NCTCOG), commercial nursery/landscape business (Randy Weston, Weston Gardens, Inc.), county extension agent (Dotty Woodson, Texas Agricultural Extension Service), and urban biologists (John Davis and Dr. Lou Verner, Texas Parks and Wildlife). In addition, the five main regional water providers
(TRWD, NTMWD, UTRWD, DWU, City of Irving)
funded the creation of the web site to make the program more accessible to our citizens. An impressive number of people helped make the original CD possible and the majority of them are listed in the special thanks and copyright sections of the CD and web site.
Texas SmartScape is an innovative storm water BMP and public education tool that was made possible through the collaborative efforts of many individuals. Without their help, this program would not be possible.
If you have any questions, please contact Tracy Michel at tmichel@nctcog.org.
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