Cache Water-Wise Landscape Tour Slated

Although there has been an abundance of rain and storms this spring, Cache Valley is located in a high mountain desert region. For the past few years, Cache Valley’s growing population and the drought have placed an increased burden on existing water supplies, according to Loralie Cox, Cache County Extension horticulturist. Cities in the county, as well as the rest of the state, have encouraged residents to reduce water usage when possible.

 

“The theory of saving water in the landscape is easy to comprehend, and most gardeners understand the strategies used to conserve landscape water,” she said. “But one of the biggest challenges to gardeners and landscape managers is visualizing and maintaining a low water use landscape.”

 

To facilitate the transition from traditional gardening to one more appropriate to Utah’s environment, Utah State University Extension in Cache County sponsors a tour of local landscapes where design, plants, irrigation and management are geared toward conserving water. The tour features five residential and one business location that demonstrate how to conserve water in the landscape.

 

Using appropriate plants is one of several strategies for water conservation in the landscape, said Cox. Not all locations in this year’s tour use native plants in the landscape, but many plants used are well adapted to the arid climate. Efficient irrigation systems are also an integral part of an efficient landscape. Each landscape on the tour exhibits methods of efficient water use for landscapes and gardens.