The City of West Hollywood has partnered with West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) to install an ocean-friendly demonstration garden in the median of Santa Monica Boulevard, east of North Doheny Drive.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will celebrate the garden, which was completed in February. The event will take place on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the median of the 9000 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, between North Doheny and North Almont drives. West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister and members of the City Council will attend, joined by West Basin Division IV Director Scott Houston. Light refreshments will be served. Attendance is free and open to the public.
“As a City, we are passionate about ecological stewardship and advocacy,” Meister said in an announcement of the event. “One of our core values is responsibility for the environment, and we are committed not only to reducing our water usage, but also to raising awareness and educating individuals and businesses about how we must all make permanent changes, not just during times of drought. The ocean-friendly demonstration garden, made possible by West Basin, is a wonderful project that deepens the city’s commitment and serves to remind people, each and every day, about conservation.”
West Basin coordinated with the city’s Department of Public Works to oversee the procurement and installation of the garden. The garden was designed with ecological principles and water conservation in mind using water-efficient plants, native to California, that showcase the beauty of drought-tolerant plantings.
The garden also is a location for the display of artworks curated through the city’s Art on the Outside program, which installs rotating temporary artworks on the city’s medians and in parks. Currently on display is “The Chase,” a series of four, origami-inspired, powder-coated, steel sculptures depicting two scenes that dramatize survival by artist Hacer, who is known for bold metal sculptures that explore psychologically complex themes. More information about that installation is available online.
During the past three years, the City of West Hollywood has intensified its efforts to use less water and to promote conservation. In order to reach the community in a creative way, the city produced an Emmy Award-winning public service announcement, “Winter is Here! But the Drought is Far From Over,” which is a parody of the HBO series “Game of Thrones. “Designed as a mock TV-series preview trailer, the one-minute video takes audiences on a dramatic journey. The video is available on the city’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel.
West Hollywood residents and businesses are served by two water utility companies: Beverly Hills Public Works and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Both utility companies are urging customers to cut back water usage. More information about water conservation — including tips and links — is available online.
West Basin is a wholesale water agency that provides imported drinking water to nearly one million people in 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County. West Basin currently is implementing a water reliability program www.westbasin.org to reduce the agency’s dependence on imported water and develop drought-proof local water supplies. The program includes water recycling, water conservation, groundwater desalting and ocean water desalination. to learn more.
