Homeowners in Flagstaff have a special responsibility to maximize their conservation of water.  Inside the home, you can purchase many different types of water saving appliances including toilets and showerheads.  You can also change your water-use habits.  Try taking shorter showers, shallower baths, flush the toilet less often and turn the water faucet off whenever possible (while brushing your teeth, doing dishes, etc.).  Don’t forget to repair any leaking faucets in your house.  Did you know that one dripping water faucet can waste as much as 50 gallons of water a day?  If all 19,306 households here in Flagstaff (US Census Bureau) had only one leaking faucet, we could be wasting 965,300 gallons of water a day!  That would mean 352,334,500 gallons per year – enough to fill over 450 Olympic-size (750,000 gallon) swimming pools!

Many people don’t realize it, but the possibilities for water conservation are even greater outside the home.  Low-Water Homescaping is an essential part of water conservation that can create a beautiful and cost-effective landscape that will provide benefits for many years to come.  Low-water landscaping doesn’t have to mean a yard full of cacti, rocks and the occasional cow skull, but of course you can include the stereotypical desert scene if you so desire!  There are many different ways to reduce water use in your homescape.  You can use all of these ideas together on your property or just use the ones that work for you.  It is possible to practice Low-Water Homescaping while still devoting a small area of your property to traditional turf, but remember – the smaller the lawn area, the more you’ll reduce your water usage and the more money you’ll save on your water bill!

ü      Using Native Plants:  Depending on the size of the lot, traditional landscaping (lawns) uses an average of 78% more water than Low-Water Homescaping (http://hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/94/940711.html - 94071143).  Native plants are a beautiful and effective way to reduce home water use.  Refer to our Special Plants Lists page to find the plants that are perfect for you and your yard.

ü      Terracing:  Terracing can be a useful tool for retaining rain and irrigation water on your property.  To learn more on terracing, try referring to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Terracing Page.

ü      Zone Planting:  This is an essential part of low-water landscape design.  Planting native and other low-water plants according to specific water zones will increase the efficiency of your landscape and reduce water waste.  Zone Planting can create a water-efficient landscape that is both beautiful and functional.

ü      Harvesting Rainwater:  This can help decrease the need for irrigation during the dry summer months.  Plus, rainwater is free!  For more information on the Rain Barrel Collection Program through the City of Flagstaff, please refer to their website.

ü      Amending the Soil:  Amending the soil with organic material such as mulch and compost as often as possible will help plants live up to their full potential and will compensate for existing soil deficiencies.

Creating your own Low-Water Homescape

    The first step to creating your own Low-Water Homescape is planning.  Decide on which native, low-water use plants (refer to our Special Plants Lists) you would like in your landscape and then organize them according to water zone. 

Maintenance of your Low-Water Homescape

Back to Water Conservation page

*Throughout this web site you will find links to other web pages, which may also contain helpful links, but keep in mind that Flagstaff has special growing needs and our web page provides information and plant lists specific to this growing area.