Water Conservation 2016 By Craig A. Wilson, Water Management Director
Here we are smack dab in the throes of trying to sort out a new year. We just finished 2015 and now we are on the slippery slide through 2016. Before you know, spring will be upon us. What can I say; probably the same thing I have been promoting for some time now; water makes living in the desert possible - make the best of it. Personally, living in a desert means being aware from where that next drink of water will come. We are fortunate to have the Salt River Project, Salt River dams and the Tonto National Forest to gather nature’s bounty, store it for future needs and manage its distribution. We are fortunate our forbearers created ADWR, less we might be like our neighbors to the west. As a community, we must continue to take steps to foster the use of the appropriate amount of water to achieve a balance in our landscape. Of the 22 acres devoted to public landscaping, only 15 acres are devoted to turf. Watering of that turf is controlled, for the most part, from a central control station. This central station knows, among other details, the size of the areas controlled, the number and kind of sprinklers, the soil type and the type of lawn and how much water to use to maintain a healthy lawn. The central station receives information on weather conditions and the daily evaporation rates. From these input, the central station programs the individual irrigation controllers to deliver the right amount of water at the right time. It also similarly manages the drip irrigation that supports the flower beds that add color to our community. A similar control station is available to control the irrigation around our homes. For several years now many Ranch residents have taken advantage of the water conservation programs, offered by the City of Mesa and SRP. The Ranch, through its water conservation program has also assisted residents in adding smart controllers to manage their irrigation. The City of Mesa offers a cash initiative for the removal of turf. Information on turf removal can be obtained from the city or at the La Casita Rec. Center. The Salt River Project will again host a Water Expo, this year to be held on March 5 th; see the details to the side of this article. Again, the major feature of the Expo is the sale of a smart controller. This year, SRP will continue to support individual water conservation efforts with the Rainbird smart controller offered at a deep discount. The controllers offered in the past, the AquaConserve controllers in the stainless steel boxes, are holding up fine, but for $50, these units could be replaced with the new Rainbird controllers. The temperature/rain sensor helps fine tune the watering times to match our climate. Consider attending the SRP Water Expo.