As the snowpack begins to melt quicker each year our limited water resources need to be more efficiently used. The summer spike in water consumption is associated with our landscaping. Here are some quick tips to decrease your landscaping water demand.

• Water landscaping at night. When landscapes are watered during the day more water evaporates and is lost to the dry, thirsty atmosphere. By simply watering after-dark more water will go to the plants.

• Aim your sprinkler effectively. Sprinklers should be aimed effectively so that your water goes to the landscape and not your hardscape. Watering the driveway and sidewalks is an easy way to send water, and money, down the drain.

• Don’t water during high winds. When the winds are high, cut back on watering. Gusts of wind gracefully lift water out of the system and into the inescapable void of a dry atmosphere. In addition, your well-aimed sprinklers will be pushed off course by the gusts.

• Employ drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is a great solution to many of the problems mentioned. Evaporation is reduced by localizing the water. Aiming is significantly less troublesome. On windy days, drip irrigation is still effective.

• Replace turf with native, drought tolerant species. By replacing turf with native shrubs and trees you can add some beautiful variety to your yard. Southeastern Utah is home to many plants that are well suited to this environment. They require less water, provide habitat for native animals, food for native pollinators, and bring the beauty of this area to our doorsteps.

• Hydrozone. Lastly, a solution that requires some planning, but is well worth the effort, hydrozoning. Hydrozoning is simply grouping plants together based on their water needs. High water demand species planted next to low water demand species leads to either overwatering or underwatering. By grouping species of similar water demand it is significantly easier to get the appropriate amount of water to each plant