Colorado-Real-Estate-Journal_350433

Page 22 — Property Management Quarterly — July 2023 www.crej.com Associations: BOMA F or years now, we have all seen drought conditions continue to worsen throughout Colora- do. Water restrictions used to be odd occurrences and happened infrequently. Nowadays only being allowed to water our landscapes 2 or 3 times a week is the norm. On top of the restrictions, we have seen our water costs soar and most of us are assigned water budgets with percentage reductions. Will this all end soon? The answer is no, and this issue is felt beyond just Colo- rado. Our Earth has a finite number of resources, which for many areas includes water. Our population is growing and like clockwork, our native unpopulated areas are being paved to accommodate this tre- mendous growth. I am not a nega- tive person, but reality is reality. We need to ask ourselves, what can we do to slow down our usage of water, to conserve our scarce resources and what are the best ways to implement change? Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies, and activi- ties to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water. We need to protect the hydrosphere, and to find ways to meet both the current and future demand. So, where do we start? Consider what we plant, how we plant it, where we plant and when we plant: • Plant native, insect, and disease resistant, Xeric, drought-tolerant, and adaptable plants. • Utilize newer turf grass mixes (use less water) where a groomed lawn is needed and consider con- verting bluegrass lawns into plant beds or stands or native grasses, which take less water to thrive. • Utilizing the 7 principles of Xeriscape: 1. Plan before we plant. 2. Improve the soil to feed the plants. 3. Hydrozone – which is grouping plants with like water needs and exposure. 4. Only plant practical turf areas. Do not plant turf grass in parking lot islands, on steep south-facing slopes or in the “back forty” where it will not be used and is a waist of water and resources 5. Install and manage efficient irri- gation systems. 6. Install mulch around plants to reduce water and soil loss, suppress weeds, pro- mote a uniform temperature and micro-organism activity 7. Provide appropriate maintenance to care for the plants. This includes checking, adjusting, and repairing the irriga- tion system, adjusting the clocks/ controllers, aerating to provide needed oxygen to grass roots and loosening our clay soil and fertilize as needed to feed the plants. Determine what we irrigate, when or how often we irrigate, what type of irrigation system produces the best results and uses water in the most efficient way: • In Colorado, the Denver metro areas is considered a semi-arid, high desert. The average yearly pre- cipitation is 14.3 inches. Landscape plants will need to be watered. Native plants/grasses will not or will rarely need to be irrigated once they are established. • Woody and herbaceous plants are best watered with subsurface irrigation such as drip. Turf grass will need to be watered with spray heads, or rotors. One of the most efficient heads/nozzles is a MP rota- tor. They are efficient, water evenly and save water due to less misting and run off. • When renovating your irriga- tion systems, consider changing to high efficiency nozzles, converting shrub risers to drip, make sure you have pressure regulators, and con- sider changing to smart controllers. ET/smart controllers (clocks) are a game changer! They can save water use by approx. 30% while keeping the landscape lush and healthy. There are many case studies that back this up. Look at common practices that waste water and come up with alter- native solutions: • Water in the morning or as close to dawn as possible – less evapo- transpiration occurs. • Use a broom instead of your hose to clean driveways and side- walks. • Go to a car wash instead of washing your car in the driveway. Most car washes recycle their water, therefore less water is used. •Watch the weather & shut off the irrigation system if expecting rain or install rain sensors. • Mow turf at 3.5” – 4” in height. This will allow the blades to shade the roots and in turn, use less water. The turf will be healthier and not desiccate as easily. Improve our systems through trusted technology and continue to research and invent better products for the environment: • This means irrigation compo- nents, fertilizers, plant species, weed control and communica- tion/monitoring systems for faster results. The sooner you can catch a stuck valve or leak, the less water is wasted. Accept the “new norm” and under- stand that it is up to us to change and to start protecting our resources: • Remember, every drop counts! • Become the Stewards of our land and resources by being adaptable and conserving one of our most precious resources. One more time, Every Drop Counts! s Landscaping for the Future Marcia M. Pryor, LEED AP, CLT, SLM Business Developer at BrightView Landscape Services, Inc.