Water Wise Denton

The best time to lay down your mulch is before the first freeze of the year. This will help insulate your plants while they overwinter. Mulch will retain moisture in the soil, so your plants won’t dry up in the dry winter months. Mulch when applied in the fall will suppress weeds in the springtime. On top of those benefits, organic mulch will slowly release organic matter, encourages earthworms and soil microbes.

Organic mulch like wood chips, shredded bark, straw, and any other natural material needs to be replaced every 1-2 years. This can depend on the amount of water that is used daily, but a good check is to dig into your mulch and check for any mold. If mold is in your mulch than it is time for it to be replaced.

The last great thing about applying mulch in the fall is the cooler weather!

Bubblers and drip lines are a great way to water directly onto your plant roots. Bubblers create a constant flow of water for newly established trees, shrubs, and flowers. Since the water output is on the soil you won’t lose any water to evaporation, wind, or overspray. The best types of bubblers for water conservation would be micro or mushroom bubblers. Mirco bubblers are best for trees, shrubs, and small flower beds. Mushroom bubblers are great for small flower beds or containers. Subsurface drip lines are cost effective way to water your flower gardens with limited water. Once installed you can deliver water directly to your plant roots ensuring no water loss.

Did you know that Bermuda and St. Augustine grasses are invasive species? These grasses will take over unintended areas like garden beds, sidewalk cracks, and everywhere else you don’t want. Buffalograss is a native species to Texas. According to the Texas Water Commission Buffalograss watering schedule can range from every 21-45 days. Compared to Bermudagrass and St. Augustine that need to be watered every 5-10 days that is a big difference. Buffalograsses mature height is 4-6 inches saving yourself from mowing every week.

The guidelines created by United States Department of Agriculture state, you can establish buffalograss by seed in late spring (April to September) or plugs in early fall (6 weeks before the first frost about Oct. 30^th). For seed you will need to remove all vegetation to create seed to soil contact then use a seed broadcaster at 3-5lbs per 1,000ft². Plugs can be planted straight in the soil and will begin to spread between 8-12 weeks after planting. It is important to keep the soil moist until the Buffalograss is established.

For more information check out: Wildscapes: Buffalograss - TPWD (texas.gov)

Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) Plant Guide (usda.gov)

Thanks to the great state of Texas, we can enjoy beautiful wildflowers on the roadsides every spring. Now is the time to plant your seeds! Bluebonnet seeds should be planted between September and Mid-November. Plant the seeds directly into the soil no more than one-quarter inch deep. Bluebonnets do have a hard outer shell that protects the seed from birds or sun, so all seeds may not germinate the first year.

For more information check out: Planting Bluebonnets (txdot.gov)

We’re all familiar with the criticism of disposable products, or items used once and then tossed into the trash. Examples include plastic water bottles, shopping bags, or cutlery. These products require a huge amount of energy to be manufactured, shipped to stores, and then landfilled. There has been a push to recycle these products to help reduce their environmental footprint. Well, what about water?

The manufacturing (treatment), shipping (pumping), and disposal (wastewater treatment) of water can make it surprisingly costly as well. But can water be recycled too? Yes! Just as a disposable water bottle is collected and transformed into other usable forms, water can be too. This is known as recycled water, reclaimed water, or water reuse. Rather than being disposed (discharged into a river and out of Denton), it can be kept right here within our city and given a second life. This is not only an environmentally sound practice, but it helps ensure an adequate water supply for our community into the future. Water is simply too precious to be used once.

Denton is committed to sustainable water practices. Visit our website to learn more about Denton’s reclaimed water program and how it benefits our community:

https://www.cityofdenton.com/1061/Reuse-Water

We are so excited to be able to lift Stage 2 restrictions! The lifting of the restrictions has come with a few questions, we are sharing some FAQs below that may be helpful for everyone:

1. Does this mean I can go back to watering when I want?

There is still a no more than twice per week irrigation schedule in place. This schedule is year round and will not ever increase beyond two days.

2. Do I still have to water before 10am or after 6pm?

No, the 10am-6pm blackout period is only in effect from June 1st - Sept 30th. Since we are in October, you may water at anytime on your designated day.

3. My neighbor is watering daily, how do I get them to stop?

There is a good chance your neighbor may not know about the irrigation schedule. We always encourage conversation between neighbors, but if you are not comfortable having that conversation you can report water waste on Engage Denton https://dentontx.citysourced.com/

4. If I report my neighbor on Engage Denton will they get a citation?

Our goal is to educate and correct behavior. Citations will not increase the amount of water we have. When we are informed of water waste, we reach out and let the customer know the rules, how they have violated the rules and offer solutions on how to get into compliance.

5. What if i want to establish turf, apply pre-emergents, or install new plantings that require more than twice per week irrigation?

Reach out to us at conservewater@cityofdenton.com with your specific request

We are VERY close to being able to lift Stage 2 restrictions. Hang in there and thank you for your continued patience.

We are working to roll out some exciting conservation assistance programs in the next 2 weeks. Stay tuned for more information!

UPDATE: September 17, 2024 - Although repairs to the second filter at the Lake Lewisville treatment facility were expected to be completed by mid-September, the City has been informed that the filter will not be back in service until early October. The contractor has identified additional repairs needed to fully restore the filter. Once the second filter is operational and full treatment capacity is restored, we anticipate being able to lift Stage 2 conservation measures and resume our normal twice-a-week watering schedule. The City will notify residents across its communication platforms once this occurs.

Replacement work is continuing to take place on the second filter, we still estimate the completion date to be the week of September 16th. At which point Stage 2 will be lifted and we can resume the regular twice-per week irrigation schedule.