Water Conservation in the Landscape

Water Conservation in the Landscape

 

In this photo released from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, extension agent Janet Bargar checks the water flow and direction of a pop-up irrigation system at a home. Bargar, a water quality expert, suggests residents check with their county extension office about local watering restrictions. She says the ideal time to water is before sunrise and that residents should check irrigation systems watering the sidewalk. (AP photo/University of Florida/Josh Wickham)

Extension agent Janet Bargar checks the water flow and direction of a pop-up irrigation system at a home. (AP photo/University of Florida/Josh Wickham)

Early spring is a great time of year to reevaluate your lawn and landscape water needs. University of Florida studies have shown that in homes utilizing automatic sprinkler systems, 50% of total home water consumption in the summer comes from running a sprinkler system.  When a homeowner is using utility water, they are typically charged twice; first for bringing the water in and second for wastewater fees.  Estimated costs for irrigating a 5,000 square foot yard range from $5-$25 per irrigation session.  So how does one cut down?

To start with, check your sprinkler system for efficiency.  Turn on the water, stand back, and watch it run.  Look for broken or clogged heads (evident by uneven and high-volume spray), or leaks within the water line.  Clean out the heads or replace these broken parts—most are very inexpensive and found in the plumbing section of home improvement stores.  Look at the reach of the spray, and make sure irrigation water is not landing wastefully on roads, sidewalks, or adjacent houses.  To paraphrase a wise colleague, “No matter how much you water it, concrete won’t grow.”

Many of our clientele ask how long an irrigation system should be run and how much water plants should get.  Ideally, turf and landscape plants should get ½” to ¾” of water per application.  The frequency of application varies by plant needs, weather, and soil type.  For very sandy soils, some specialists have recommended applying less water at a slightly more frequent rate, since sandy soils are unable to hold water in the root zone of plants for long.  Mulching around plants and amending soils with organic material can help improve a soil’s water-holding capacity.

An efficient irrigation system should direct water to root system of a landscape and reduce overspray onto homes and sidewalks. Photo credit: UF IFAS

An efficient irrigation system should direct water to the root system of a landscape and reduce overspray onto homes and sidewalks. Photo credit: UF IFAS

A simple sprinkler calibration can be conducted by spreading empty aluminum cans around one’s yard, and turning on each sprinkler zone.  Run each zone for 30 minutes and measure how deep the water is in the cans.  If the water depth is within the recommended amounts, no changes are needed.  However if it’s not deep enough or greater than ¾” of an inch, run times should be adjusted accordingly.   If some of the cans receive a noticeably different amount of water than those adjacent to them, it is a signal that the reach of the spray heads is not adequately set and should be corrected to make sure the entire landscape has even coverage.

The primary goal of supplemental irrigation is for the plants’ root zones to be wet, but not saturated or too dry.  Ideally, established lawns and landscapes should thrive on rainfall after initial establishment, and only take irrigation in longer periods of drought.  However, this is contingent on the planting of Florida-friendly vegetation and a homeowner with a keen eye to the condition of one’s plants, who is willing to turn the sprinkler system to “manual” and wait for his or her plants to start drooping before turning on the water.  In reality, most homeowners find it difficult to take this much time and care with their irrigation system, and opt for the “water every two or three days whether needed or not” approach, even in parts of the state with water restrictions.  In fact, anecdotal evidence seems to show that homeowners only allowed to water lawns one or two days a week will overdo it just to make sure their plants survive.

Luckily, new technology exists that can take the guesswork out of irrigation for a homeowner, while keeping plants alive and conserving water at the same time.  “Smart” irrigation systems include soil moisture sensors and evapotranspiration (ET) controllers.  Soil moisture sensors (SMS) use electrodes buried within the root zone of turf, which are calibrated to a certain level of moisture in the soil.  The system is only allowed to run when water levels drop below a preset threshold.  ET (evapotranspiration) controllers monitor weather conditions on site or from a nearby weather station, using satellite signals to determine when plants will need additional water.

 

Improving Water Quality and Bringing Back the Bayous

Those who have lived in the Panhandle area for many years will remember the days when our local bayous were places people water skied, kids learned to swim, and fishermen brought home plenty of speckled trout.  But today we see little of this.  Water quality within our bayous has declined to a point that the general public is concerned about recreation within them and most use them as access to larger bodies of water where they can enjoy water activities.

What Happened?

The mouth of Bayou Grande near Navy Point; a popular recreation location

The mouth of Bayou Grande near Navy Point; a popular recreation location

Those who lived here when things were better say they first noticed problems when new roads and subdivisions were built in the 1950’s.  Decline in water clarity was one of the first things they noticed.  This was followed by a loss of submerged grasses, fish kills, and an increase in health advisories due to high levels of bacteria.  These new subdivisions cleared much of the native vegetation in the neighborhoods and along the water front.  The loss of vegetation and new roads allowed for more runoff to reach the bayous.  Much of this runoff was in the form of leaf litter, twigs, animal waste, and maybe even carcasses of dead creatures.  Once reaching the water these organics are broken down by bacteria into forms of nitrogen and phosphorus that can be utilized by aquatic plants and phytoplankton.  This increase in plants will produce more oxygen, but they also consume oxygen in the evening.  The high demand for oxygen in the evening can cause dissolved oxygen levels to decline to a point where aquatic life begins stressing; we now say the water is hypoxic. To add to the problem people began to have the desire for lawns of non-native grasses which require fertilizer and watering; thus increasing the nutrient load on the system and an increase in hypoxia.  This eutrophication process was a major contributor to the fish kills that the bayous were experiencing.

In addition to nutrients, animal waste could be found in the stormwater.  Animal waste can contain pathogens that could be a serious risk to public health.  Scientists monitor the concentration of these pathogenic bacteria by using a group of indicator bacteria called fecal coliform bacteria.  High levels of these fecal coliforms indicate that a potential health risk could be present and the Escambia County Health Department would issue a health advisory for that body of water.  A study showed that the concentration of fecal coliforms increased in areas where coastal development increased, connecting them to stormwater problems.

So What Can We Do?

 

Marine Science Academy students from Washington High School measuring chlorophyll in Bayou Texar

Marine Science Academy students from Washington High School measuring chlorophyll in Bayou Texar; photo: Ed Bauer

We will probably never be able to get the bayous back to the state they were in before the development boom of the mid-20th century but there are few things we can do.

First, the reason the nutrients and fecal coliforms increased was an increase in runoff.  This increase was due to road construction and loss of vegetation.  We cannot do much about the roads but we can rethink how we landscape our yards and waterfront property.

The Florida Friendly Yards Program is one that helps residents with selecting plants and landscaping features that require little or no fertilizer or water.  This not only reduces the runoff but saves the homeowner money.  Rain barrels and rain gardens are also methods that can both reduce water runoff and save money.  For more information on this program you can contact Carrie Stevenson at the Escambia County Extension Office; 850-475-5230 or ctsteven@ufl.edu.

Shoreline vegetation can be restored through the Living Shoreline Program.  In this program the Florida Department of Environmental Protection works with the homeowner on designing a shoreline marsh and/or oyster reef project.  Living Shorelines utilize plants that remove much of the nutrients found in runoff and oysters are known to filter 50 gallons of water per day, reducing turbidity typically caused by runoff.  Not only do Living Shorelines reduce nutrient runoff, they also reduce erosion caused by wave energy.  For more information on Living Shorelines contact Beth Fugate at beth.l.fugate@dep.state.fl.us.

Planting a Living Shoreline on Bayou Texar in Pensacola; photo: Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Planting a Living Shoreline on Bayou Texar in Pensacola; photo: Florida Department of Environmental Protection

A third program that can help bring back the bayou is the Clean Marina / Vessel Program.  This program is through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For more information contact Jeanne Williams at Jeanne.Williams@dep.state.fl.us.

We hope you will consider using one of these programs to help improve the water quality within our bayous.  If you are interested in having a presentation on these programs contact Rick O’Connor at the Escambia County Extension Office; 850-475-5230 or roc1@ufl.edu.

Water Management Summit of Northwest Florida to be held at Niceville Community Center January 31

Water Management Summit Flyer. Great Speakers and Topics for Irrigation and Turf Professionals.

Water is a precious natural resource that often makes headlines. Here in Northwest Florida we have Areas of Special Concern in which it has been determined that availability will not meet the needs as our population grows. Now is the time to make all efforts to conserve this valuable commodity. For those in the landscape industry, water plays a big part in their livelihood. To learn more about water conservation and related issues please attend this Third Annual event January 31, 2013 from 8:00 – 4:30. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Door Prizes Available for those who registered in advance by January 25! To pre-register call Sheila Dunning, Okaloosa County Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent – 850.689.5850.

Hosted at the Niceville Community Center.

Topics and Speakers include:

Water Use Update – Lauren Connell, Hydrogeologist, Resource Regulation, Northwest Florida Water Management

Landscape Irrigation Water Requirements, What Does the Science Say? – Michael Dukes, Ph.D., Irrigation Specialist, University of Florida

Urban Irrigation Smart Controller Retrofits – Kati Migliaccio, University of Florida, Tropical Research and Education Center

Reclaimed Water – Tom Shannon, Ewing Irrigation

Practical Considerations for Minimizing Environmental Impact of Turf Maintenance – Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., Turfgrass Professor and Associate Center Director, University of Florida, West Florida Research and Education Center

Damage Prevention – Brad Martin, Sunshine One Call 811

Click here to view the entire agenda.

 

Soil Moisture Sensor Video and Urban Irrigation Scheduler Instructions

ET Controllers Installation and Programming Video

For more resources and information come to the summit and visit http://irrigation.ifas.ufl.edu

Expedition Florida 500 Launches in Pensacola

It is human nature to explore.  We are a curious species, yearning from birth to stimulate our senses of sight, smell, touch…from an infant’s grab at a colorful toy to an astronaut setting foot on the moon, we thrive on new adventures and understanding. A legend of the Age of Exploration, Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon set foot on Florida’s coast in 1513, and 500 years later, another water-based expedition is taking place.  This time, the explorer sets out not to conquer, but to celebrate the unique ecology and history of Florida. On January 1, University of Florida graduate Justin Riney, founder of a nonprofit advocacy group called Mother Ocean, launched a 365 day standup paddleboard journey around the state. Several standup paddleboarding enthusiasts (myself included) joined him at Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola to begin the 1,515 mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail, which hugs the coastline south through the Keys and back north to Jacksonville.

The author (back right) participates in the launch of Expedition Florida 500 at Big Lagoon State Park on January 1. Photo Credit: Jackson Berger

The author (top right) participates in the launch of Expedition Florida 500 at Big Lagoon State Park on January 1. Photo Credit: Jackson Berger

Justin plans to paddle for at least 10 miles a day, carrying all of his gear on his board and camping at beaches in each community.  The goal of the trip is not only to help celebrate the 500th anniversary, but he’s partnered with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the University of Florida, and several watersports companies to promote the expedition and highlight conservation of the springs, rivers, estuaries and beaches around our state. He hopes the journey will inspire people to explore and protect our invaluable water resources, and encourages locals to join him at each location to paddle and share knowledge about their waterways. Along the route, he has scheduled almost three weeks to take daylong tours in areas of particular ecological and historical significance. Today several of us joined him on a trip through Pensacola Bay, where we discussed everything from the history of Fort Pickens, to the improvement of water quality in Bayou Chico, to the Appalachian origins of our sugar-white sands.

Captain Robert Turpin, Escambia County Marine Resources, discusses seagrass preservation in Little Sabine Bay with Justin Riney.

Captain Robert Turpin, Escambia County Marine Resources (left), discusses seagrass preservation in Little Sabine Bay with Justin Riney.

In several communities, he plans to lead coastal cleanups. Justin will be paddling from Pensacola through Gulf Breeze tomorrow and to south Okaloosa and Walton counties through January 11. From there, he will continue along the coast, and on to Bay and Franklin counties between the 15-26 of this month. The detailed schedule below outlines his route from the Panhandle and beyond.

Coastal Schedule for 2013 Expedition Florida 500

Coastal Schedule for Expedition Florida 500

You can follow Justin’s experiences at Expedition Florida 500 on Facebook to see updates, photos, and information about where he will be next.  If you’re a standup paddleboarder, kayaker, or just interested in the project, contact him through the page and take the time to be part of this historic journey. And for those of you who live further inland, after reaching Jacksonville on July 4, he plans to paddle back through the state exploring inland waterways–rivers, springs, and lakes–so there’s a good chance Expedition Florida will come to your community this year as well!