Lawn Conversion is the replacement of a monocrop landscape with low water-use or native plants. The shallow roots of turf grass compacts soils and limits water absorption when it rains. Runoff picks up any chemicals or fertilizers from your yard and transfers them to local streams. With the installation of native species or low water use plants, roots are given a chance to grow deeper and create systems that hold water in the soil and lessening runoff. Click here to read the Climate Appropriate Planting Guide and the Mulching Guide.

Irrigation efficiencies are strategies aimed at minimizing the loss of water due to evaporation leaks, and runoff. This may include upgrading irrigation timers to a more efficient water delivery that reduces consumptive use while maintaining the same amount of healthy and attractive landscape. By switching irrigation times on existing irrigation systems to morning or evening when temperatures are lower, less water is lost to evaporation.

The addition of rain gardens and swales in your landscape offers two simple ways to increase stormwater capture and recharge our aquifers. These strategically designed low depressions and channels create holding places for water to collect and sink rather than run off over heavily saturated soils or impermeable surfaces. Click here to read the Rain Gardens Guide.

Laundry greywater is gently used water from your washing machine. Instead of sending greywater to your septic system, it’s possible to utilize that water to irrigate your garden or landscape. While greywater may look “dirty” it’s a safe and even beneficial source of irrigation water in a yard. If greywater is directly released in rivers or streams its nutrients become pollutants, but for plants, they are valuable fertilizer. Pay for your water once and use it twice! Click here for Greywater Laundry-to-Landscape Resource Guide.

Increasing shade canopy on any landscape means more than just planting trees, though that is the most impactful solution. It can often mean the implementation of a variety of plants that decrease the amount of sunlight exposure on the soil. This can result in lowering the temperature of the area and increased soil health. With more shade on the ground, water retention in the soil increases, resulting in homeowners having to irrigate less than before.

Rainwater harvesting is the capturing and storage of rainwater that runs off hard surfaces such as roofs. Gravity pulls water down through the gutters into the storage rain tank. Overflow from the tank can be directed to rain gardens, where the water can infiltrate the soil and refill aquifers. This FREE water, that would have otherwise been lost due to run-off, can be stored and used to water gardens and landscapes long after the rainy season has passed. Click here for Rainwater Harvesting Guide.