COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Communities across Colorado are taking action to counter the low water year, with some adding water restrictions. In Colorado Springs, water managers are pointing to current water rules and asking users to be extra cautious.
Reservoirs in the Colorado Springs Utility system are looking good so far for this year because of banked water from previous years. However, snowpack is very low, so Colorado Springs Utilities is asking customers to be extra vigilant about water-wise rules.
"We are in water shortage preparation, which means that we're expecting our water yield to be less than half this year due to the unusually low snowpack. And because of that we're asking our customers to make every drop count," said Lisa Pace, Colorado Springs Utilities water conservation lead.
A lovely yard using little water has been the decades-long project of Carey Harrington, a water-wise gardener.
"2002, we had real watering restrictions. That was the first watering restrictions," said Harrington.
Her unique plants between the sidewalk and the road often get questions from neighbors. The always-green area is typically watered only once a month.
"It's really fun and it's definitely community, community um connection for me," said Harrington.
Harrington's yard is a practice-what-you-preach example of what she also shares as a volunteer at the Utilities Water Conservation Center.
"It comes down to money, but it also comes down to just all the water we have, is all the water we have," said Harrington.
The ask from the conservation center is closely following water-wise rules. That means checking for leaks, making sure water from irrigation isn't wasted running off hard surfaces, and following watering schedules.
"In the spring you really only need to water one day a week like in April and in May water twice a week. As the weather heats up, bump it up to those 3 days per week, but you don't need to water more than that," said Pace.
Experts say residents should make the most of their watering time. The recommendation is doing deep watering, which creates deeper roots so grass can go longer without watering. Residents should put down a half-inch of water either in the morning or evening.
"So you're going to cycle for a little bit of time, wait about 1 hour or 2, and then water again. Watering in small increments gets that water deeper into the soil which is going to give you deeper roots," said Pace.
If you are unsure or want to know more about water-wise rules or water-efficient plants, the Colorado Springs Utilities Conservation Center is located along Mesa Road on the city's Westside.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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