Water, Water Everywhere, But
Someone who knows these things told us in the Master Gardener class last Thursday that the aquifer from which we get our drinking water will fall to distressing levels within 10 years! Florida, because of its sandy, porous soil (which needs irrigation in addition to the rainfall for upkeep of turf grass), and other reasons, is the highest domestic water user in the US. Now, Florida can't take all the blame for aquifer levels when its northern boundaries are in South Carolina and Georgia and the flow is from north to south. In the class the scrutiny was directed at Walton County, our county, and we are part of the problem...big time!
It is common to see automatic sprinkler systems operating during rainstorms. Since 1992, Walton Co has a code which requires rain shut-off devices to be installed with any irrigation system. Sounds good and they work very well, however! There are not near enough inspectors to enforce the law AND landscaper businesses in our county are not required to be licensed. Landscapers who attend the class were aghast that there was such a law and they weren't aware of it.
Another story was told by a classmate who helped install landscaping for a huge residential resort a few years ago. A huge amount of money was spent to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials, and an irrigation system. Years later, when established plants (especially native plants) can survive on normal rainfall, the irrigation system has never been recalibrated to suit the need, nor has any maintenance been performed to repair breaks, leaks, and malfunctions. This situation is replicated throughout the region on large and small scale.
The most horrific eye-opener was the before and after photos of natural sand dunes near the beaches with native flora, hundreds of years old in the case of the live oak trees, flattened and replaced by turf. Makes you want to choke the ignorance out of some people. And there lies the key to solutions...combat the ignorance with education, publicity, enforcement.
It is common to see automatic sprinkler systems operating during rainstorms. Since 1992, Walton Co has a code which requires rain shut-off devices to be installed with any irrigation system. Sounds good and they work very well, however! There are not near enough inspectors to enforce the law AND landscaper businesses in our county are not required to be licensed. Landscapers who attend the class were aghast that there was such a law and they weren't aware of it.
Another story was told by a classmate who helped install landscaping for a huge residential resort a few years ago. A huge amount of money was spent to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials, and an irrigation system. Years later, when established plants (especially native plants) can survive on normal rainfall, the irrigation system has never been recalibrated to suit the need, nor has any maintenance been performed to repair breaks, leaks, and malfunctions. This situation is replicated throughout the region on large and small scale.
The most horrific eye-opener was the before and after photos of natural sand dunes near the beaches with native flora, hundreds of years old in the case of the live oak trees, flattened and replaced by turf. Makes you want to choke the ignorance out of some people. And there lies the key to solutions...combat the ignorance with education, publicity, enforcement.
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