Council passes resolution to put grass at Fort Bliss National Cemetery

The Fort Bliss National Cemetery sustained some damage from Monday morning's rainfall. The northeast was hit by over five inches of rain. (MARK LAMBIE / EL PASO TIMES)

The El Paso City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday asking the Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration to replace the xeriscaping at Fort Bliss National Cemetery with grass and sod.

Since xeriscaping began at the cemetery in 2006, "every heavy rain event in El Paso results in widespread damage to the grave sites and tombstones," the resolution states. In the past two years alone, "1,600 graves were damaged at Fort Bliss National Cemetery," it states.

A spokesperson for Fort Bliss National Cemetery was unavailable for comment. More than 50,000 people are buried at the cemetery at 5200 Fred Wilson Drive.

Ray Rivera, an Army veteran who addressed the City Council, said that of the 131 national cemeteries across the country, only three others are xeriscaped.

"We were told before that the change was necessary in order to conserve water, but it may be costing more to repair the damaged graves and areas to the cemetery," Rivera said.

Rivera said he believed smaller, private cemeteries don't have the same problems to the degree that exist at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, and that one of them uses a small reservoir to store water.

City Rep. Carl Robinson, a veteran, said he and others led a charge to keep the grass at the cemetery before the xeriscaping was installed.

"We're dealing with a big bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., which needs to be persuaded to do this," Robinson said. "Input from many veterans and from additional members of Congress will be needed."

City officials said they have received complaints that relatives of veterans buried at the cemetery can't kneel around the tombstones because of the gravel that replaced the grass.

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Council passes resolution to put grass at Fort Bliss National Cemetery