Water usage is a hot topic in Utah, located as it is in a desert in the midst of a drought. And the U is doing its part to help.
Landscape maintenance workers at the U hope to reduce water consumption through continual irrigation developments. Currently, the U’s campus features about 700 acres of landscaped grounds, all of which are supported by sprinkler systems. Water for this comes from local watersheds and wells.
But Mark Lavelle, a junior in psychology, isn’t sure the efforts are paying off. He said he’s “disappointed in the big lawns that require a lot of water” at the U.
“We are supposed to be a campus leading in sustainability,” he said.
The Landscape Maintenance Department at the U frequently engages in projects to improve water conservation.
“As a university, we are trying to set an example to the surrounding community of what can be done to correctly plant and water landscapes,” said Lisa McCarrel, grounds supervisor.
McCarrel said that this effort is more than just an aspiration. In the last few years, Landscape Maintenance has made significant changes for increased accountability of water use. To decrease the effects of evapotranspiration, or the amount of water lost through evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants, a weather-based irrigation system now allows maintenance to track the amount of water that is used on a daily basis.
A weather station on campus also measures solar radiation, wind speed, temperature, humidity and precipitation to predict how much moisture the landscaping needs so it doesn’t get overwatered. This summer, some areas of grass were transformed into drought-tolerant green space as part of the adjustments.
“We did numerous things on campus to lessen water requirements,” McCarrel said.
Turf needing a lot of water was replaced with more viable Utah-native plants. Spaces were covered in rocks, wood chips and mulch to reduce watering surface area. Unnecessary grass, such as sections thinned due to shade from overhead tree cover, were entirely removed. These changes are expected to decrease not only water consumption but also labor costs.
The U only waters lawns between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. Exceptions are made when new sod, seeds or plants are being established, and defective equipment may be another reason for daytime watering.
If you suspect an issue or see broken sprinkler heads, you can contact Facility Operations Dispatch at 801.581.7221. Be sure to provide as much information about the location and problem as possible. Sprinklers are typically fixed within 24 hours.
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