The recent rains have been a blessing in Central Texas, and I love seeing so much abundant green growth. When I watched the weather this morning, the meteorologist showed some great drought monitor maps to show how we are slowly catching up to our average rainfall amounts for this time of year.
Even with the rainfall, water conservation is on my mind because our water sources are still low. As of May 24, 2023, Lake Georgetown is at 66% capacity and Lake Travis is at 45% capacity. Much of the county also gets water from Stillhouse Hollow Lake, which is at 69% capacity. You can keep up with the drought numbers and our water supply reservoirs at www.waterdataortexas.org/.
As the weather heats up and we get into summer lawn care mode, it can be almost automatic to think we need to start watering
the lawn. Fortunately, the recent rains and moderate temperatures are keeping our lawns green without any extra water. Remember that most of our home irrigation systems use treated drinking water. If we have enough rain, there is no need to water the lawn with supplemental irrigation.
One neat thing about our turfgrasses is that they can develop an extensive root system that will go deep in search of water. As the soil dries out from the top down, roots will push deeper into the soil to find water. We can stifle this process if we supply our grass roots with a frequent, shallow watering through irrigation. When we get into hotter, dryer weather, try to water your lawn once a week or less to encourage the grass to grow deeper roots.
As homeowners, we can do a lot to conserve water. We can water in the mornings, use cycle and soak settings, and water deeply and infrequently. The biggest challenge is to change our expectations of having the perfect, lush green lawn. Maybe this summer, we all accept the challenge to water a little less and be okay with a slightly less green (but still healthy) lawn. Your wallet will thank you when you get a lower water bill!
I have been fortunate to work with a great team of Water Conservation Managers from several city water departments throughout Williamson County to host Irrigation Station workshops. I am learning a lot about water and irrigation systems from these folks!
These workshops are a great opportunity for any homeowner to learn more about our water supply and how to take steps to conserve water in your lawn and landscape. We teach basic DIY fixes for irrigation systems and good practices for water conservation. Join us on June 6 at 6:30pm at the Extension Office in Georgetown for the next workshop and keep an eye on the calendar for upcoming workshops around Williamson County. You can find our calendar at williamson.agrilife.org/events/.
For more information about lawncare or water use, contact Kate Hajda, Williamson County Extension Agent for Horticulture, at 512-943-3300.
