Connect to... water conservation at your library

By Hilery Walker, Community Relations Coordinator

April 6, 2005

As another dry winter comes to an end, Natrona County citizens face the possibility of mandatory water restrictions if Nebraska exercises its North Platte River senior water rights. Whether or not these mandatory watering restrictions come into effect, a continuation of Wyoming's six-year drought is certain. Natrona County Public Library can connect you to a number of resources about the environmental controversy and concern evoked by the drought and ways to conserve this precious resource.

The current drought has spurred discussion about everything from whether or not humans are to blame for the changing weather patterns to the validity of states' water rights that date back one hundred years. Whether you are interested in fact or opinion, your library has a number of books dealing with these "water politics." "Water Wars: Drought, Flood, Folly and the Politics of Thirst," by Diane Ward, is based on ten years of research with information that goes beyond popular doomsday predications. Ward identifies some of the most "vexing problems," telling "the stories of those working to solve them: hydrologists, politicians, engineers and everyday people." If you prefer more fact and less opinion, your librarians have compiled a page of links at http://www.natronacountylibrary.org/w_drought.php through which you can connect to the Wyoming Drought Watch, the National Weather Service's Drought Forecast for Wyoming and other websites with Wyoming drought statistics. Children can begin learning about water conservation with "Water: Our Precious Resource," by Roy Gallant, which provides "an in-depth look at Earth's waters and mankind's uses of water throughout history."

If you are tiring of wondering whether or not you'll be able to water you lawn in the future, give xeriscaping a try. A form of landscaping designed with water conservation in mind, some general principles of xeriscaping include grouping together plants that have similar watering needs in areas where they will thrive best, using hardy native species of grasses and limiting the amount of "turf" (lawn) you plant, watering with soaker hoses for more efficiency and using moisture-retaining mulches around trees. Your library has some great books on xeriscaping, such as the "Xeriscape Handbook," by Gayle Weistein and the Denver Water Department's "Xeriscape Plant Guide," which has a variety of suggestions for plants that thrive in our climate.

There are numerous ways to conserve water that don't involve relandscaping your entire yard, however. For instance, try watering your lawn in the morning or evening, when it is cooler and there is less evaporation. Also, avoid watering your lawn on windy days, when water is blown away and evaporation is increased. And if you fix a leaky faucet or toilet, you can save 2,200 gallons of water a year! For more tips on ways to save water around the house, visit www.wateruseitwisely.com.

Experts say it will take four years of above-average precipitation to recharge the aquifers and reservoirs depleted during this time. Even if winter 2006 buries us with snow until May, drought will remain a concern. You can start addressing this problem now with a trip to your Natrona County Public Library.

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