July is recognized by the Irrigation Association (www.irrigation,org/IA) as smart irrigation month.  Are you prepared for hot weather and potentially reduced water availability?  Here are some tips to get you through the season.  

Watch: Agricultural Water Quality and YOU

If someone told you that you could have free, high quality water delivered right to your house, would you take it?  When it rains, we are basically getting exactly that, fresh, clean water right at our door.  Instead of thinking of rain as something to divert away from our roof and into the stormdrain, Rain Harvest enthusiast see rain as a resource.

On its journey from the sky to the storm drain, a raindrop can collect many different types of contaminants. This could include particles of oil from the driveway, fertilizers, pet waste and even nicotine from a cigarette in the gutter. Although singularly they may seem small, collectively these stormwater pollutants can have a big impact on our health and the health of our watersheds.

Whether you own a large agricultural property, or are managing a small lot, there are many things we can all do to help conserve water.  In addition there are many city, state and federal programs to help provide assistance and incentives for farmers and producers wondering how they will irrigate this year, or to help implement projects that will help our region make the best use of our limited…

Graywater is “used” water originating from washing machines, sinks, showers and bathtubs. It is water that contains some soap, but is clean enough to water plants.   Graywater specifically does not include wastewater from dishwashers, garbage disposals, toilets, wastewater from the washing of cloth diapers or wastewater that contains hazardous chemicals.