By Stephanie Lynn EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Spring
has come to Big Sky. The signs are everywhere.
And
with the warmer weather, the season to plan and plant outdoor landscapes and
gardens has arrived. The new “Big Sky Water Wise Landscaping Guide,” published
by the Gallatin River Task Force, outlines a sustainable strategy for
landscape, design, installation and maintenance that conserves water and
protects rivers.
“It’s
especially important to pay attention to your water use during the summer,” said
Emily Casey, who is the author of the landscape guide. “Water conservation can
relieve the stress of high temperatures, low precipitation rates, and reduced
streamflows to help ensure water supply when the watershed needs it most.”
Today,
many landscapes in Big Sky waste water through inefficient irrigation or
inappropriate plant selection. Between 2003 and 2017, public water usage in
June, July and August surpassed consumption during the other nine months of the
year by an average of 400 percent, according to the Big Sky Water and Sewer
District. During that period, demand for landscape water peaked in 2017 when
summer usage exceeded winter by 800 percent.
Although
thirst for water is growing with Big Sky, an arid climate and periodic drought
constrain the supply. During the dry southwest Montana summer, melting snow
feeds rivers, streams and groundwater, but warming trends could reduce snowpack
and water levels. In addition, increasing consumption of groundwater could
deplete streamflows further, impacting both fish and wildlife.
Given
these challenges, reducing water use will help to sustain both human and natural
communities in Big Sky. And when it comes to saving water, our landscapes,
lawns and gardens represent the proverbial low-hanging fruit.
The landscape
guide, written with the assistance of local nurseries, landscapers, irrigators
and conservation organizations, adapts the seven xeriscape principles developed
in Denver in the mid-90s to local climate and soils. These principles optimize
water use while maintaining healthy, attractive and cost-effective landscapes.
Community
members can pick up a free copy of the guide at the Task Force office and start
saving water today. Many neighborhood covenants in Big Sky have specific lawn
requirements that may be an obstacle to implementing water-wise practices. If
this is the case, contact the Task Force to advocate to amend homeowner’s
association covenants to conserve water.
Each
yard and landscape in Big Sky is located within the Gallatin or Madison
watersheds. All activities on the land affect both surface and groundwater.
To view the water-wise planning guide online, visit gallatinrivertaskforce.org/big-sky-water-wise-landscape-guide.
Stephanie Lynn is the education and
communications coordinator for the Gallatin River Task Force. –