Valley cemetery takes drastic measures to save water

Cutbacks to water are now trickling down to impact cemeteries.

Kathleen Jurasky, District Manager of Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, said the drought is breaking hearts, drying up what should be lush, green and peaceful at the cemetery.

“You take away water. You have grass, you have to water grass, you have to water trees, you have to water plants. When you cut back you start seeing brown mixed in the green,” said Jurasky.

The cemetery is not mandated by the state to make drastic water cuts because it uses its own water well, however, Jurasky said they’re choosing to be proactive and cut water use 36 percent.

Desert Memorial Park only runs its sprinklers at night for a short amount of time. The grass surrounding the office is no longer being watered and you’ll soon see signs posted throughout the cemetery reading, “Please pardon our landscaping. Irrigation reduced to save water. Thank you for understanding.”

Future burials will also be affected. The plan is to eventually transform the five acres of empty land at the cemetery into desert landscape burials.

“Our next development for interments are going to be desertscape. It would no longer be grassy areas, all are going to be desertscape burial. So we’re working right now with the landscape architect to see exactly what that’s going to look like,” said Jurasky.

“I hope they find a solution or rain comes because it’s turning a little bit brown,” said Jan Vandenberg who visited the cemetery Thursday.

In 2010, the cemetery removed 1,750 feet of curbside grass and replaced it with drought tolerant landscape and desert friendly plants.

“There are two water features out there. The water features are going to be removed,” said Jurasky.