Can I Only Water My Vegas Landscaping on Certain Days?
Your Vegas landscaping is important, but be careful not to overdo its watering. Letting your irrigation system run without the mandated approval will not only get your neighborhood stirred up. You’ll be fined. Las Vegas experiences droughts, and water can be hard to come by. What most homeowners don’t realize is that there’s plenty of time within your assigned days to keep your lawn and landscape thriving. Simply don’t panic. Landscaping in Las Vegas, however, is a delicate issue, and everyone is expected to play their part.
Why Are There Restrictions for My Vegas Landscaping?
Las Vegas’s watershed is centered around Lake Mead. Being a body of water that flows directly into the Colorado River, its volume has to be maintained and monitored during dry weather. The nearby Rocky Mountains have experienced a less than favorable amount of snowfall, and scientists attributed what’s become a 20-year drought to that loss of snowfall. Biologists have measured Lake Mead to find a 130-feet drop at its surface since the year 2000. The Las Vegas Valley receives up to 90% of the Rocky Mountains snow melt, but this is no longer the case.
Reducing the Risk of Runoff
It’s easy to take water for granted, but things as simple as runoff are even a waste. Though used to refer to toxic waste or pollution, runoff also deals with excessive water use. If you, instead, let your lawn soak, you’ll only release enough water for it to be absorbed by the lawn. Homeowners who do more than this will see water running into the curb and then down the road. This is runoff and comes from the overuse of water. By allowing water to first soak, you can control how much you then use. This calls for you to release water slowly to avoid waste.
The best way to avoid runoff is to use fewer volumes of water per day. Lightly watering in the morning, lightly watering in the afternoon and then lightly watering in the evening is how. This is allowed but only within a single day. If you attempt to produce that same amount of water all in the morning, which is at one time, runoff will occur. Your lawn will only receive a portion of what you used. It’s inefficient, and neighbors will see it happen. Consider watering in 4-to-12-minute spurts and no more at a time.
Multiple Days a Week But With Limits in Spring
Though you can water multiple times a day, you’re only given three days a week in spring when watering is allowed. Your Vegas landscaping will benefit from this schedule as long as you’re disciplined to maintain it. If not you, then make sure your landscaper knows about the local laws and thoroughly obeys them. The liabilities of breaking these rules won’t fall on them; the penalties fall on the homeowner. The only exception to this rule is when you have a new lawn. Be it for an old construction or a new project, this exception gives you a 14-day block for watering.
Group Assignments and Days
Your location dictates which group you fall in, and each Vegas landscaping group is assigned specific days. During each of the four seasons, those days will change as well as the number of times you can water each week. The groups run from A to F. Group A starts north with those in Cheyenne. Group F ends south with those in Sunset. The changes you need to follow are set for each season. In winter, for example, Group A can water on Monday, Group B on Tuesday, Group C on Wednesday, Group D on Thursday, Group E on Friday and Group F on Saturday.
Additional Limitations Based on the Season
The needs of your Las Vegas landscape change during the four seasons. For this reason, the limitations imposed also change. During the summer, for example, residents of Las Vegas are allotted 6 days of watering as higher temps and likely droughts will arrive. In the spring, you have three times per week to water your lawn. During the fall, residents are also given three days in the same manner as in spring. However, though no season allows you to water on Sunday, you’re given only one day a week for watering during the winter months.
No Sunday Watering for All Groups
Sunday seems like an opportune time to water the grass and liven up your bushes. The issue is that most homeowners are home on this day. It’s one thing to have water used throughout the week, but having that same amount drafted in one day creates a hazard. The less stress that’s put on the watershed at a time, the better your neighborhood’s water is preserved. Any sudden shock to your system is dangerous. Your landscape in Las Vegas is important but not more than the availability of water for everyone else.
Watch Out for Rainy, Windy Days
Local governments urge you to keep track of the weather. There’s no need to water before a rainy day. When you can do so, wait, and let the rain come in. Allow nature to do your watering whenever possible. The wind is another consideration to keep in mind. On windy days, the water released by a sprinkler is likely to be carried away. This will not only waste water but force you to keep your hoses running until your objective is achieved. Hundreds of gallons of water can be saved by avoiding the wind.
Avoiding the Fines
Putting your Vegas landscaping above the law has its penalties, so be careful to work with contractors who know the law. Your first fine is $80 if the volume of water you wasted doesn’t exceed 1 meter. Your fine increases for each consecutive violation you make. Now when the violation exceeds 3 meters, the initial fine is $320 and increases from there for each consecutive violation. Depending on the category you’re listed in, your fifth landscaping violation will cost up to $1,280 or $5,120, respectively.
Find a landscaper in Las Vegas who knows about these fines. However, you need a professional who can track your water use. Being able to communicate clearly with them is necessary, or you might find fees incurring that you never intended to pay.