Turf and Urban Landscape

     ". . . .to promote the conservation and protection of water resources in the urban environment through improved irrigation management and enhanced horticultural practices."

The Turf and Urban Landscape Water Management & Conservation program is an expansion of the Irrigation Management Service (IMS) of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. The District expanded the IMS program in 1993 to help focus on turf and landscape water management and conservation. Municipalities currently own approximately 63 percent of the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) units. A typical year sees about 70% of the water used in agriculture and the other 30% used by cities with more than half of the treated municipal water being used for outdoor irrigation.

As a resource to approximately 750,000 residents in eight counties within the District, we tailor our efforts to the needs of the various communities to help them better manage their water resources. Education and training are the primary emphasis of this program to promote protection and conservation of water resources used in the landscape. Demonstrations and studies are conducted to support the educational efforts of the program. The District also assists turfgrass managers, landscape professionals and water conservation specialists with establishing methods to monitor landscape water usage, teaching irrigation scheduling techniques and performing irrigation audits. Emphasis is placed upon voluntary cooperation and participation. District resources and findings are made available to the public through public presentations, reports, field days and tours in an effort to promote improved water management.