A local jail is being lauded by local water conservation specialists for their participation in the Mojave Water Agency's Cash for Grass program.
Officials at the facility owned by The GEO Group called Desert View Modified Community Correctional are set to receive approximately $4,207 for removing 8,415 square feet of grass at the entrance of the jail, authorities said.
"In the desert we recognize we get less than 6 inches of rain a year," said MWA spokeswoman Yvonne Hester.
"It's important we conserve water and we know outdoor landscaping makes up 50 to 70 percent of all water use in California." Hester said the Cash for Grass program is for both residential homeowners and businesses.
Participants receive .50 cents for every square foot of turf removed, or a cash amount equal to about half of the square footage of turf that is taken out. "It came out beautiful," said Doug Willey, of The GEO Group.
"I live in Adelanto so I came up with the original idea. The Warden (Raymond Smith) just wanted to have grass out there, but when I talked to him about it he said, 'Let's go for it.'" The labor for the project was completed by inmates at the jail and the new landscape includes rocks that were painted blue to spell out "GEO."
Hester said participants are also encouraged to incorporate native desert plants into 25 percent of the new landscape. "We salute them in their efforts and we hope it encourages others to do the same," Hester said. Adelanto conservation specialist Belen Cordero said she spearheaded the project by first introducing GEO to the program and she also applauded them in their efforts. The GEO Group did an awesome job," she said. "I think it’s great that they realize how important saving water is to the environment. They are on board with recycling, energy efficiency and water conservation.
