Water Conservation for Aptos Village (Part 1)

Open Space and Landscape Elements Will Promote Groundwater Recharge

Committed to good water stewardship, Barry Swenson Builder (BSB) designed the Aptos Village Project to include significant water-saving methods and environmentally conscious landscaping.

The Aptos Village Project includes open space and landscape elements specifically designed for groundwater recharge through the use of pervious paving, rain gardens and bioswales. Landscape Architect Joni Janecki’s goal for the Aptos Village project is “to utilize a regionally-adapted, low-maintenance plant palette, and minimize watershed impact through a multifaceted approach to storm water management.”

The design incorporates woodland and village landscape types. The “woodland” areas will weave the project into neighboring tree canopies, while shading paved areas, reducing heat gain and providing habitat for birds and butterflies.

The “village” zones focus on deciduous trees to provide shade and seasonal color, along with ground-level plantings. The majority of the irrigation will be subsurface, with no turf or overhead spraying. Irrigation bubblers will be installed where trees are planted. Weather-based controllers with sensors for temperature and sunlight will be used to regulate watering.

• Pervious Paving: Pervious paving will be used in areas without heavy vehicle traffic, helping to manage runoff from asphalt and concrete surfaces. While slowing down the rain runoff, pervious paving uses permeable materials in a base and subbase design, cleaning the water by filtering out solids and pollutants.

• Rain Gardens: Along designated roadways, rainwater runoff will be directed into rain gardens. A rain garden is a shallow, excavated depression, specifically designed as a planter for deep-rooted vegetation and grasses, which require no additional irrigation. Directly underneath the planting is a large stone trench. The plant life selected is able to filter out oil, toxins and other impurities from the water. The additional natural filtering of the gravel layer detains the water, retaining it to promote groundwater absorption.

   Typically located near a downspout or driveway, rain gardens capture and absorb the rainwater from an impervious
surface, such as a roof, to prevent the water from flowing into the storm sewer system.

• Bioswales: A bioswale channels rainwater into a very shallow, sloped trough. The trough is filled with a soil mixture approved and accepted by the State Water Board. The combination of vegetation, mulch and rubble acts to slow down the runoff rate, decrease the runoff volume, remove pollutants and increase the soil and groundwater infiltration.

• Storm Drain System: The Aptos Village storm drain system will be the first in Santa Cruz County to combine bioswales, rain gardens and pervious paving. Any water passing through the bioswales and rain gardens that isn’t absorbed into the soil will be detained and released offsite into Aptos and Valencia Creeks at the same rate as before the development. Using the best storm water management practices, it creates a low profile, low-impact system.

For information about the exterior water conservation measures and the state-of-the-art storm water management system, visit www.theaptosvillage.com/newsletter-landscape-elements-help-recharge-groundwater.

The Project re-establishes Aptos Village as the civic heart of Aptos. For more information about the project visit www.theaptosvillage.com and sign up for email newsletter updates, or follow the project on Facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsofaptosvillage.

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BSB’s Santa Cruz County team is located in downtown Santa Cruz, where BSB has invested over $80 million in historic renovations and new construction since the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Learn more at www.barryswensonbuilder.com.