It takes careful planning and vigilance to care for approximately 737,500 acres of flood protection and restoration project areas.
Harvest supports activities for disabled veterans while helping to stabilize alligator population.
Winter’s Skip a Week campaign is a new part of the district’s everyday ways to conserve water resources, and save you money.
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Training your lawn to use less water conserves, saves money
By Beth Hickenlooper
Florida’s virtually year-round beautiful, warm weather is part of the reason lots of people want to live here. So many people are used to seeing those postcard images that they often forget our lawns and landscapes take a winter break and naturally go dormant, reducing their need for irrigation.
In winter 2017–2018, the St. Johns River Water Management District is joining in the Skip a Week campaign developed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District to encourage efficient irrigation practices specific to winter months.
This campaign focuses on studies showing that lawns need only about three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days during winter, and less if it has rained.
“Skipping a week of irrigation when your yard doesn’t need it keeps lawns healthy and helps to conserve drinking water supplies — if homeowners who irrigate skipped every other week of watering this winter, north and east-central Florida could save more than 1 billion gallons of water,” said District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle.
The Skip a Week campaign runs through February 2018 and complements the district’s year-round watering restrictions.
Watering too much makes lawns less able to survive dry conditions, encouraging shallow, weak root systems, leading to weeds, pests and diseases. You’ll know if your lawn needs water when blades fold in half, turn blue-gray or leave footprints.
Winter is a great time to train your lawn to sip water instead of guzzling it. Learn more about Skip a Week on the district’s website at www.sjrwmd.com/SkipAWeek.