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Water Wise Landscape
Water is a precious resource in the Mojave River Valley and efficient water use is the responsibility of all area residents, businesses, and public agencies. The City of Hesperia would like to help you save water and money by providing information on water efficient landscape.
More than 50% of water used in homes is used outdoors. Creatively planning a landscape that conserves water presents the greatest opportunity to use water wisely. Check out the links below for tips on saving water through water-efficient landscape.
- Mojave River Watershed Group (MRWG) - Water Wise Landscaping
- University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Questions & Answers About Drought & Water Conservation
- Alliance for Water Conservation and Awareness (AWCA) - Live Like a Desert Native
- Tips for Having an Efficient Landscape
Water Wisely
In addition to using water wise landscaping, adjusting how and when you water can help save water.
- Get in the zone.
- Schedule each individual zone in your irrigation system to account for type of sprinkler, sun or shade exposure, and soil. Different zones will almost always need different watering schedules.
- Consider soil type.
- Type of soil determines how quickly water can be absorbed without runoff. Watering more than soil can absorb causes runoff and waste.
- Don't send water down the drain.
- Set sprinklers to water plants, not your driveway, sidewalk, patio, or buildings.
- Water only when needed.
- Saturate root zones and let the soil dry. Watering too much and too frequently results in shallow roots, weed growth, disease and fungus.
- Water at the best time.
- Watering during the heat of the day may cause losses of up to 30% due to evaporation. Prevent water loss by watering when the sun is low or down, winds are calm and temperatures are cool - typically between the evening and early morning.
- Water more often for shorter periods.
- For example, set your system to run for three, five minute intervals instead of fifteen minutes at one time. This lets soil absorb more water, reducing runoff.
- Adapt watering to the season.
- Familiarize yourself with the settings on your irrigation controller and adjust the watering schedule regularly based on seasonal weather conditions, or invest in a smart controller so your system can make these changes automatically.