SALT LAKE CITY — With Gov. Cox calling for a state of emergency due to the widespread drought in Utah, now is not the time for residents to be watering their lawns.
The Utah Division of Water Resources is asking residents to hold off irrigating their personal home landscaping in an effort to conserve water.
Officials estimate more than 20 billion gallons of water could be saved every summer if people watered their lawns according to the Weekly Lawn Watering Guide.
According to the current edition of the guide, no areas in the state are advised to water. The guide uses data to give recommendations on how many days per week to water lawns based on conditions in each county.
You’ve probably heard by now (we hope!) that we’re in one of the worst droughts on record and that soil moisture is at...
Posted by Utah Division of Water Resources on Saturday, March 20, 2021
The department says watering now can actually do more harm than good to residential lawns. Homeowners are urged to let their turf build up strong roots before the summer, and watering now could lead to shallow and weak roots.
A state of emergency declaration will allow for state and federal resources to be used to help farms and communities that might be impacted by what is expected to be a long, hot summer.
