Why is conserving water in landscapes important?
The population in the Chesapeake Bay watershed continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It is anticipated that no fewer than 3 million new residents will make the mid-Atlantic region their home during the next 25 years. This will undoubtedly put serious strains upon natural resources, including fresh water. In some households as much as 40 percent of the water used each month finds its way into the landscape, so future fresh water supplies depend upon wise outdoor water use. Water-wise landscaping means many things. It means evaluating how much water the lawn and landscape really need, learning how and when to apply water in the landscape, understanding that plants thrive with well developed, deep root systems, using plants with lower water requirements and minimizing water waste in the garden. In the Bay region, water-wise landscaping, or xeriscaping, is one of the BayScapes program principles. Keep in mind that excess, or wasted, water runs off the land carrying nutrients, sediments an
