Wednesday, January 16, 2008

From the Southwest Florida Management District

Southwest Florida Water Management District urges residents to prepare for a severe drought

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is urging all homeowners in the 16-county area to prepare your lawns now for potentially record-breaking drought conditions this spring.

The District has been consistently receiving below-average rainfall since January 2006. As a result, the District's water resources, such as the aquifers, rivers and lakes, are all far below where they should be. Now climatologists are predicting La Nina conditions, which are expected to result in a drier than normal fall, winter and spring.

The District issued an emergency water shortage order in January 2007, which restricts lawn watering to one-day-per-week. In addition to following the restrictions, the District is encouraging homeowners to take several measures this winter that will not only conserve water but will also protect your property by training your lawns to use less water. Using less water will encourage deeper grass and plant roots, making your lawns more drought-tolerant this spring when conditions may be at their worst.

Some simple steps you can take include:

• Checking your irrigation system to make sure it is operating efficiently and you are watering the landscaping, not paved areas
• Raising your mower height to encourage grass roots to grow deeper and hold moisture longer
• Skipping a week of irrigation during the cooler months, when your lawn doesn't need as much water

The District is encouraging residents to use water as efficiently as possible during the dry season. For more simple tips on conserving water both indoors and outdoors, as well as information on Florida-friendly landscaping, visit the District's web site WaterMatters.org/drought or contact your county extension office.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Durell
Project manager, Florida-friendly landscaping
Southwest Florida Water Management District

No comments: