What is Xeriscape? Landscapes in urban backyards or around a rural home generally accommodate fruit or ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers that serve a variety of purposes: food, shade, screen, color, or wildlife habitat. With the right plant choices and placement, pleasing and functional landscapes can be achieved that will thrive with minimum irrigation and maintenance. “Xeriscape” promotes water-conserving landscapes …
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Q: Why aren’t there water restrictions in place? We’re in a desert, we’re in a drought, and we are facing shortages of Colorado River water. Shouldn’t we be using less? Actually, we are using less. That fact, along with robust water portfolios and shortage preparation, is why the Phoenix area cities do not need to mandate additional water use reductions at this …
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Salt River Project (SRP) invites Valley customers to learn about water conservation and water supplies at the 12th annual SRP Water Conservation Expo on March 2, 2019, from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Approximately 50 exhibitors will be at the event, including municipalities, water organizations, the Water – Use It Wisely campaign, and vendors with water-efficient products. Additionally, SRP will have snow …
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Some 4,000 years ago, ancestors of the Hohokam people settled at the base of (what is now known as) Tucson’s A Mountain on the banks of the Santa Cruz river. At that time, the river flowed year-round and supported lush woodlands of cottonwood, willow, and mesquite. These people created an extensive system of irrigation canals, supporting an agricultural society that lasted thousands of years. …
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Reading and math are important, but there are equally important skills that kids aren’t taught in school. As parents, it is up to us to model healthy lifestyles for our kids, and we can do so with green parenting practices. By showing our kids that their family strives to make eco-friendly decisions with what we buy and eat, we can …
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How do Arizona communities ensure that they have sufficient water to meet their future needs? The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s February 1, 2019, annual conference, Arizona Runs on Water: Scarcity, Challenges, and Community-based Solutions will examine answers to this question. Communities across Arizona are working to identify and implement solutions to water issues, both current and future. The …
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“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” — Jacques Cousteau Arguably, water is cheap. In the United States, on average, tap water costs less than $3 for 1,000 gallons — or mere fractions of a penny per gallon. Compare that to the cost of bottled water at the store, or filling up at your local …
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A piece of sculpture at a public intersection was once considered public art. Things have changed. Public art has become more of an event, such as a community mural designed and painted through a partnership between an artist and neighbors. The City of Mesa has taken this idea to sophisticated levels. It is a city that knows how to pair artists …
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Winter is one of the easiest times to save water and money. Here are our top tips to save water indoors and out during cooler months: Perform Outdoor Checks Your irrigation system provides a lifeline to the plants in your landscape; remember to include it in your regular maintenance routine. To water your landscape efficiently, your irrigation system must be …
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Are your plants feeling underdressed? Maybe you take the best care of your garden; digging deeply, using good soil, adding nutrients, and providing ample water. But have you left your plants topless? For several reasons, a good top dressing of mulch is the final layer your plants need to truly thrive. In nature, it is common to see fallen leaves …
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When we think of wastewater, we usually think of sewage. However, it is also comprised of any used domestic water produced from showers, disposals, washers, and sinks. Furthermore, wastewater can include any used water and water-carried solids from a community that flows to a treatment plant, such as stormwater, surface water, and industrial water. Fact: 99 percent of wastewater is …
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Welcome to a steamy July morning on the Agua Fria River near Cordes Junction, Arizona. Humid, heavy air hangs above young willows laid flat by recent heavy flows. We slop through thick, mocha colored mud to the mechanical whir of cicadas, and screams of nesting Zone-tailed Hawks. While searching for the threatened Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (hereafter cuckoo), we encounter the …
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