Industry: Landscape and Turfgrass Industry Viewpoints.

The EPA WaterSense Water Budget Tool is in reality a landscape design tool rather than the traditional understanding of an irrigation management tool.  The original concept of landscape water budgeting is to compare the irrigation water applied to the estimated plant water demand of a specific landscape.  While the EPA WaterSense water budget tool was originally intended for use with a single family residence using potable water, the concept is now being adopted or referenced by other green initiatives for landscapes that are much larger, more complex and have other purposes than the original intent for single family properties.  The Irrigation Association applauds efforts that promote efficient irrigation, but in order to sustain effectiveness in a changing marketplace, a more comprehensive approach to managing water in the landscape needs to be utilized.  An analysis of the current EPA water budget tool will be made while introducing some new ideas that could improve the use of the tool including the following concepts: (1) climate considerations when determining the landscape composition, (2) what water sources (both quantity and quality) will be available to maintain the landscape, (3) better methods to estimate landscape plant water use (from establishment to maturity), and (4) how to factor in irrigation efficiency.  This presentation will look at the present EPA model and explore possibilities for the future that will encourage further discussion about how to better manage water resources within the built and managed landscape system.

See more from this Division: C05 Turfgrass Science
See more from this Session: Symposium--Making Sense Out of Water Sense; Stakeholders Drive Their Points Into the Heart of the Issues

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