Ok everyone, let’s have a show of hands to see how many of you are currently running your irrigation systems at least once per week in the Stone Oak area? Hmmm……I don’t see a lot of hands, but in my travels through the area through the week, there are a lot of “irrigation signatures” in and down the streets in front of homes, indicating irrigation has run within the past minutes or hours.

 

First, you must understand that irrigating dormant grass will not make it grow, no matter how hard you try.  As long as soil temperatures are below 70oF, turf grasses will not produce green shoots. Only the roots of grasses, trees and shrubs are active in the winter. What WILL turn green are the germinating winter weeds like dandelions and henbit, along with cool-season weedy grasses such as rye, fescue, Poa anna, or Rescue grass.

 

Why is NOT irrigating in the winter important?  Your sewer bill.  Yes!  Your sewer bill!  SAWS uses the period between November 15 and March 15 each year to calculate the winter average.  The winter average is a consecutive 3-month period used to calculate the sewer bill for the following year.  Why use the winter?  Water use for residential customers in the winter is ASSUMED to be primarily occurring indoors, and thus exiting the property via the sewer pipes.  Wastewater output is not metered for SAWS customers.  That’s not a job ANY meter reader would want…hee hee!

 

Normally, a good winter recommendation is to apply ½ inch of water to the landscape every 4 weeks since the grass/plants are not actively growing.  However, a rainfall of ½ inch or more is enough to delay irrigation for at least 4 weeks in winter.

 

Soil depth is very important in the water needs of plants and grass for winter.  Soil at least six inches deep or more will hold moisture longer, requiring less frequent irrigation or rainfall.  Landscapes with soil less than six inches deep may require some kind of irrigation or rainfall at least once every two weeks.

Shrubs and trees require less water than grasses in winter and usually do well on rainfall alone.  If water is needed, use a hand-held hose to apply water to individual shrubs and trees once or twice during the winter and use irrigation sparingly on grasses.

 

While most winters in San Antonio are mild, they are still cool enough to keep warm season grasses (St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia, Buffalo) from growing and remaining emerald green.  These grasses do not need lots of water to survive the winter.  Using extra water outdoors in the winter does nothing but make your sewer bill grow for the following year.  Next time you’re in the garage, stop by your friend “Hunter” or “Rain Bird” (whatever your brand of irrigation controller) and switch them to OFF or Manual until after March 15.

 

 

11-2-16                      Did You Know Some of Your Water Comes from the Trinity Aquifer?

Greetings from the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGR). We are collaborating with the Stone Oak POA in offering Stone Oak residents the opportunity to sign up for the TGR e-newsletter. And there are many important reasons for your family and/or business to do so.

A quality, reliable water supply is the lifeblood of every community, and it is the responsibility of homeowners, businesses and various water agencies to make sure excellent water is always available in San Antonio. Much of the water that is used in Stone Oak comes from the Trinity Aquifer in addition to the Edwards Aquifer. In fact, Stone Oak and many other areas located north of Loop 1604 are located on top of the Trinity Aquifer and are included in the Trinity Glen Rose District. The Trinity Glen Rose District is responsible for ensuring that the Trinity Aquifer is protected and preserved for use by the community into the future. And as we’ve always found, well-informed water users are always the best allies in making sure our water supply is safeguarded.

So, how should you stay up to date on all water matters in your area? The easiest way is to subscribe to the Trinity Glen Rose e-newsletter.

In our newsletter, TGR will be supplying great information about how homeowners and businesses can conserve water each day. For example, in the November newsletter, we explain how you should be preparing your landscape for the winter, which in turn makes it ready for the spring growing season. Properly maintained landscapes saves thousands of gallons of water each year per customer.

You will also get first notices about new water rebate programs. In the spring, we will be partnering with San Antonio Water System on a landscape rebate program. SAWS will be offering a rebate, but Trinity Glen Rose will be adding an additional rebate as well. But, the Trinity offer will only be for the first 200-250 applicants. So, if you’re not on our mailing list, you might miss the opportunity entirely.

We’ll also be collaborating with local businesses who are doing great work in water conservation to offer special premiums to people living in the Trinity Glen Rose area. And all of our subscribers will have access to those savings!

Those are just a few reasons why we’d love for you to go to our website and subscribe. The information you will receive will always be helpful and to the point. With your help, we can ensure that the Trinity Aquifer is always a quality resource for our community. And that starts with being informed and involved.

Thanks so much for your willingness to conserve and protect the Trinity Aquifer.

Just go to www.TrinityGlenRose.com to subscribe today.