SALT LAKE CITY — The agency that gives out Utah’s lawn-watering recommendations has updated their weekly guide, moving most of the state into using the Extreme Drought Watering Guide.
Division Spokeswoman Kim Wells says that means people need to water one less day a week instead of the currently recommended 3 days per week.
“Most of the state would have been at three times a week right now, we are saying reduce that and let’s go with two times a week,” she told KSL Newsradio.
“Eliminating even one lawn watering for your typical quarter-acre lot in Utah saves about 3,000 gallons of water,” she said.
Southern Utah residents are being encouraged to water three days a week.
“Extreme drought continues to plague the state, so the Utah Division of Water Resources has replaced its traditional lawn watering guide with an “Extreme Drought Watering Guide” to reflect drought actions. The “Drought Watering Guide” replaces the popular Weekly Lawn Watering Guide and focuses on “survival watering,” the agency said.
The agency also wants people to focus on watering efficiently. According to their website, trees should be watered first, then shrubs, flowers, and finally grass.
“The goal during extreme drought conditions isn’t lush landscapes but rather “survival watering” to keep high-value plants alive like trees and shrubs. Grass is resilient and can survive with as little as 1″ of water a month. It won’t be green and will enter dormancy during times of drought and high temperatures but will recover when conditions improve.”
Wells says it’s going to be a tough challenge to try and persuade people to let their lawns go yellow.
“There’s a lot of pride associated with that, but with conditions as extreme as they are right now, we really need people to embrace that less lush lawn,” she said.
Wells said they put out the guide every week but that these recommendations will likely last “for the foreseeable future.”
