Water woes

Kelli Rodda

Shortages and drought have forced many states, counties and municipalities to take drastic measures to protect water, one of life’s most precious resources. While politics and poor planning may play into water shortages, the green industry has the chance to lead by example and execute solid water conservation plans.

But don’t keep your conservation efforts to yourself. Share your successes and failures with fellow nursery owners who may be lagging in the conservation mindset. Invite politicians to tour the nursery and see how you’re conserving water. If enough legislators see your efforts, perhaps they won’t punish the green industry with water mandates.

A recent report by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado-Boulder showed that nearly one in 10 watersheds in the U.S. is “stressed,” with demand for water exceeding natural supply.

“By midcentury, we expect to see less reliable surface water supplies in several regions of the United States,” says Kristen Averyt, associate director for science at the CIRES. “This is likely to create growing challenges for agriculture, electrical suppliers and municipalities, as there may be more demand for water and less to go around.”

Read more about the study here: http://bit.ly/SvU6qi

For another frightening look at America’s water risks, cogitate on this infographic from Growing Blue: http://bit.ly/1oaCNdj

A story in the Huffington Post (http://huff.to/Urq9d3) identified 11 cities that face running out of water completely “sooner than you think.” Some cities cited in the article include Cleveland, Ohio; Salt Lake City, Utah; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; San Antonio, Texas; and Los Angeles, Calif.

Think about the horticulture market share in these areas. It doesn’t have to mean a death blow to the green industry. Instead, we’ve got to take charge and show the public how to conserve water.

You can make a difference.

In the following pages, look for ways to help you conserve water before it’s too late.

• On page 42, find out if rainwater harvesting is right for you.
• Turn to page 48 and see how a California nursery cut its water use in half.
• On page 52, read about a proposed change to the Clean Water Act that could negatively affect all nursery growers.
• And on page 56, learn how recycled water affect water quality, and how growers can easily overcome that issue.