Just in Time: Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology Releases a Drought Toolkit

Recently the Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology (CLCE) released an information package including some of the best IFAS expertise on water-use in a drought context. With municipalities and water management districts in Central and Southwest Florida declaring Phase III water restrictions, this is timely insight to have on hand. Prior to the info release Center Director Dr. Michael Dukes granted IrriGator a brief interview to discuss the CLCE’s role in drought and easy ways to address water-waste in your irrigation system.

Even with rain, lawns are dry. A #UF_IFAS expert offers advice for treating your parched lawn properly: https://t.co/HayhjvvJ6r @IrriGatorUF pic.twitter.com/qQldhSjjdZ

— UF IFAS Solutions (@UF_IFAS) May 28, 2017

What does CLCE hope to achieve with the release of all this drought relevant information/insight?

MD: We’re really trying to promoting awareness of the drought. It has been ten years since we’ve had a drought here this widespread. There have been many pockets of dryness (South Florida for example) in between. But really to promote awareness and get people thinking about that our water resources are limited.

U.S. Drought Monitor stats for FL as of late May. (via USDM)

What role do you feel IFAS and CLCE can play in this kind of context?

MD: Our role right now is the awareness part. What can you do about it. And if you’re faced with drought what are some of your options. But I think the building of the awareness part is one of the most important parts because every day when we’re not in a drought we’re conducting research and education on best practices, use of smart irrigation technologies, efficient irrigation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping – we’re doing all those things year round. If you do implement these things you’ll be better prepared for a drought.

This season I know many of the water management districts have stepped up their messaging about drought. Are there opportunities for collaboration with these entities?

MD: Short answer is I think so. The longer answer is there is not a formal mechanism for it. We don’t have a regular meeting with all five water management districts. However, we do have informal relationships and once we get our drought information package together St. Johns River Water Management District has asked us for it. We’ll help them by providing the best science that we have.

“If we don’t conserve water now, we will get into an emergency situation where we don’t have the supply we need." https://t.co/1YcTAwNuDG

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) May 25, 2017

What are some easy, fast ways to implement best practices to reduce water use in a drought context?

MD: Well, the irony of a drought is you need to water. It’s not the best time to cut your water back. If you have a maintained landscape you’re going to be watering it right now, probably quite a bit. But the practices, the research and education that we conduct all will set you up better for a drought. But it’s stuff you have to do before you get there. Putting in a smart controller right now is probably not going to save any water unless you’re ridiculously overwatering. But from the utility data that we’ve seen people tend to underwater a little bit during this time of year. So people are probably struggling to put enough water on to maintain an aesthetic value of their landscape. The need of the landscapes are very high right now.

The low hanging fruit from an irrigation standpoint, drought or not: adjust the throw on your sprinklers so you’re not watering the road, fix breaks, and check for other obvious issues like clogged heads. The more advanced stuff like smart controllers, they may not save you water right now, certainly rain sensors won’t since it’s not raining. But these things will save you water once we do get to that rainy season.

Dive into the CLCE’s Drought Toolkit here.

CLCE Director: An Educated Public is the Most Direct Path to Positive Change

The 2^nd Urban Landscape Summit is just around the corner. To highlight this informative occasion, for the next three weeks we’ll be posting related topics, including a Summit preview and an interview featuring one of UF ABE’s newest faculty whom will be presenting during the summit. We begin with a recent article by Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology Director Dr. Michael Dukes on the valuable role IFAS plays in a state where water is at once controversial, plentiful, and in high demand.

Protecting the water we'll need for the 15 million additional residents projected to live here in 50 years calls for us to start right now by getting today's 20 million Floridians on board with a conservation ethic.

The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has a special responsibility as the state's leading public institution providing the science to make this happen. After decades of work and significant accomplishments, we can see that so much still needs to be done.

Dr. Michael Dukes and Bernard Cardenas in turfgrass research plots

That's why we believe the gifted nature photographer and defender of springs John Moran performs an important public service in highlighting the importance of water in Florida (see article).

We need people with his passion and his talent for communicating, whether through his images or his contributions to The Sun. Although UF/IFAS leads the way on water science in Florida, we do not have a monopoly on the topic.

UF/IFAS is on the cutting edge of water-saving science with technologies such as phone apps and high tech irrigation controllers that tap into soil moisture data and weather forecasts to tell people when to water and, equally importantly, when not to. They can cut your water usage by 20 percent without browning your lawn.

Dr. Kati Migliaccio and the smartirrigation turf app

We have UF/IFAS Extension agents in every county to familiarize homeowners and growers with these kinds of tools. These agents also work with builders and developers, a number of whom are building these technologies into their new communities. And they work with homeowners' associations to educate them about water-conserving practices and to encourage them to adopt new ideas. If all new homes followed suit, we estimate that we'd save 1.8 billion gallons a year — enough to provide 30,000 homes in Florida with water for a year of indoor consumption.

The UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology, which I lead, provides easy-to-understand information on wise water use through its Florida-Friendly Landscaping program that serves all Floridians. Some, like Moran, choose no water or fertilizer for their landscapes. Others are obligated to maintain their landscapes by the rules of homeowners' associations.

Florida-Friendly signage at the UF/IFAS Landscape Unit

We're not in the business of telling people to have a lawn or not. Instead, using the best available science, we inform all kinds of property owners who want to know how much to water and to fertilize. It's powerful information because it can demonstrate how natural resource protection and financial savings often go hand in hand.

UF/IFAS has recently invested in making further progress in Florida by hiring five regional specialized water extension agents, each based in one of the five state water management districts. These agents will communicate science to water users of all kinds. In addition, UF/IFAS is hiring four faculty to join a team in what we call environmentally resilient, resource-efficient land use. This team will focus on further understanding patterns of water use and water quality threats from development and seek ways to address those threats.

Stand-alone weather-based irrigation controllers at a commercial property in Orange County

The public hungers — dare I say "thirsts?" — for such information. A recent UF/IFAS survey indicated that residents would like more information on how to conserve water and that they would respond to incentives such as rebates to adopt new technologies such as smart irrigation controllers.

Getting this information out will be critical to protecting the natural resources that make Florida such a special place.

Moran's opinion is that "we'd do just fine without lawn sprinklers and fertilizer. And Florida would be a better place." Yet many others enjoy gardening that requires irrigated landscapes. Much of the development in recent decades has occurred through subdivisions with homeowners' associations where landscaping is required.

Presenting to growers during Field Day at SVAEC in Live Oak

UF/IFAS does not make public policy. We believe an educated public is the most direct path to positive change. We appreciate the efforts of Moran and other activists who seek to influence public policy, because their efforts can give our science a boost by raising awareness about a resource that can go unnoticed until a crisis such as an algae bloom.

We at UF/IFAS are proud of our work on water quality and conservation. For example, UF/IFAS work on developing guidelines for agricultural practices has contributed to a 79 percent reduction in the amount of phosphorus — a main element in fertilizer — in farm water flowing into the Everglades.

But we must do more — a lot more — together. UF/IFAS and its Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology will continue to provide the unbiased science that has made us the first place that Floridians — whether they're homeowners, farmers, water district managers, or legislators — look for solutions to our water challenges.

Hot Days and Dry Nights: A Florida Summer '16 Tale

The City of Clermont, FL, is lovely this time of year. And by lovely I mean oppressively hot and, oddly enough for summer, exceedingly dry. I know because I traveled there recently at the request of UF/IFAS Extension Agent Brooke Moffis. Ms. Moffis required technical assistance with some residential irrigation systems and such matters, as part of the Dukes research group, are my specialty.

green on green on green in Clermont, FL.

Situation: Dying Turf

Residential Horticulture Agent Moffis wears many hats in Lake County. In this instance, she elected to assist a handful of homeowners in a verdant, sprawling Clermont community beset by failing, distressed turfgrass. There are many reasons why turf might fail in the landscape: poor soil, fungus, pests, insufficient irrigation, etc. On that day my task was to assess the latter, while Agent Moffis gathered soil samples to ascertain the status of the former.

A Thing or Two about Residential Irrigation

If you own an automated irrigation system, what is the one thing you should do at least once a month to stay on top of system malfunctions? A wet-check!

What follows is the irrigation assessment procedure I executed in Clermont:

• Note the irrigation programming (does it make sense/abide by area watering restrictions?)
• Note the presence and functionality of a rain shut-off device
• Turn on each zone and walk through looking for breaks, leaks, obstructions, and coverage quality
• Note plant life and/or sprinkler head type mixing within zones

Proper irrigation scheduling is critical to water-use efficiency and landscape health

Life is full of surprises. And these five systems I evaluated that day had several in store. Namely, someone took the time to design the zones by plant type (turf and ornamentals kept separate) and the mixing of sprinkler types within zones was non-existent! Both of these design factors allow for precise scheduling of irrigation run times and frequency.

Backyard in extreme distress

One Piece of the Puzzle

In Clermont, however, irrigation was only one part of the story. As I mentioned above many variables can lead to dead or unhealthy turfgrass. At some of these locations the culprit was clear: summer. In a typical year, summer in Florida is considered the rainy season. Temperatures peak but rainfall does as well. This has not been the case for summer 2016. 

A glimpse at monthly averages from a weather station in Lake County (courtesy UF/IFAS FAWN)

July was especially cruel in Lake County - temperatures consistently in the 90s with minimal rain in between. Couple this with scant shade and poor irrigation coverage in the landscape and the result is dry, wilting turf. For the locations where insufficient moisture was the driving factor, sizable early August rain events were already having a positive impact.

On the mend: turf hot-spots filling in following consistent rain events

Expanding the Agent Toolkit

In addition to a newfound appreciation for residential irrigation in Clermont, that day I also discovered that there is eagerness among Extension Agents for basic irrigation system auditing skills. Agent Moffit expressed interest and I am pleased to report that there are plans in motion to develop such trainings.

UF/IFAS Miami-Dade's Morgan Hopkins in action 

“The idea is to create an irrigation assessment toolbox so that when an agent steps on a property they can identify major issues like poor coverage, timer scheduling or no rain sensor shut-off,” said Miami-Dade FYN Agent Morgan Hopkins (part of a group developing an irrigation In-Service Training (IST)). “They should have the resources and correct information with which to assess an irrigation system.”    

Serving the public: UF/IFAS Extension Agent Brooke Moffis with soil samples 

Watch this space for news on the developing irrigation IST. Keep up with Brooke Moffis' work in Central FL via her newspaper column or UF/IFAS Lake County Extension calendar.

Meet Morgan Hopkins: UF/IFAS Miami-Dade’s Newest Water Expert

UF/IFAS Miami-Dade filled their long-vacant Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Agent position this month. The hire? Morgan Hopkins, a water reuse and conservation expert from Oklahoma.

Having just completed her master’s work this summer, Ms. Hopkins now takes center stage with Miami-Dade’s Urban Conservation Unit, an outfit that administers what is possibly the best funded urban landscape irrigation rebate program in the state, in the most populous county in Florida.

Big personalities take on big tasks in high-profile settings. IrriGator recently interviewed FYN Agent Morgan Hopkins to learn more about her background and her big plans for water in Miami-Dade.

What is your background in water and/or conservation?

I hail from Oklahoma. The Great Plains. While I was there I attended Oklahoma State University (OSU). My undergrad focused on Environmental Science Policy. That’s where I received my formal education on conservation and the environment. But I really delved into water conservation during my master’s program in the OSU Horticulture Department. I was on a grant with Oklahoma City to create and promote a water conservation program. We were coming into our fourth year of drought and my role as the graduate research assistant was to do public education while also continuing my research in reclaimed water use in golf course irrigation and public acceptance of reclaimed water use in Oklahoma. 

Learning the ropes: Morgan Hopkins at a recent landscape irrigation evaluation

What are some of Oklahoma’s current water challenges?

Water is a very contentious subject in Oklahoma, especially when we’re in drought. We’re known for having a drier climate. Everyone knows about the dust bowl from the 1930s. We also experienced a big drought in the 1950s. Oklahoma is based largely on oil production and agriculture so water is very important for both those industries. So when we go without it our economy and people feel the impact.

What is it about Extension that interests you?

I worked with Oklahoma’s Extension through my master’s research and found out how Extension helps the community. I really enjoy that their sole purpose is to help people – to educate and serve the community in a way that is research backed but also backed by counties and business and agriculture. I enjoy tying in the academic research side with the public outreach and working with people.

#UFIFASMIAMIDADEUCU2015: Morgan Hopkins and Jesus Lomeli

What do you think a successful water program looks like in the diverse, populous context of Miami-Dade County?

I think a successful water program would be one that everyone knows about regardless of your economic or social status; it’s something that serves everyone. That would be the basis to me: a program that everyone is aware of and everyone feels is actually benefiting their community as well as the environment. 

Follow Miami-Dade FYN Agent Morgan Hopkins on twitter as she continues with her important water work in South Florida.