The biggest
difference I noticed when I flew back from England was how dry Colorado Springs
felt. For a quick comparison between the two cities, the humidity right
now in the Springs is 30 percent compared to 77 percent humidity in Sunderland.
Colorado
Springs is a semi-arid climate, meaning it gets just a little bit more rain
than a desert. This makes water a valuable resource here.
An
ineffective way we end up using this resource is on our lawns. Colorado Springs
wants to be as green (in color) as any other city, but it takes a lot more
water to do so.
At my house
during the summer, about 65 percent of the water bill is directed towards just
watering the outdoors. It pays off; our grass is quite green. But there are
other options for landscaping that use a lot less of this resource.
For example,
xeriscapes are landscapes which require little to no irrigation. Colorado
Springs has a demonstration garden which is full of rocks and plants
that require very little water.
Demolishing
and re-landscaping an entire yard takes a lot of work and a lot of money. For
those with yards that must continue to be watered regularly, there are plenty
of strategies to preserve water.
Being
careful when watering lawns not only helps the environment, but our wallets as
well.
My parents xeroscaped most of their yard two or three summers ago. The only problem with Colorado landscape is the persistent weeds. Even with a weed barrier, they still get weeds popping up through the rocks everywhere. I, personally, don't like the idea of so much land being dedicated to growing grass, which is almost completely useless in the grand scheme of things. When I buy my own house and land, I plan to use the space for growing helpful vegetation (for bugs and humans), but it's helpful to read this about water consumption, as gardening will take just as much water.
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