May 25/2011
What a swing. From desert dry from last summer to this March to totally saturated. The rain gauge at my house near Golden has collected more than 4" of water so far in May. Normally this time of year while it is relatively cool (60's and 70's) lawns need about a inch of water per week. As such, the rain that has fallen so far has provided enough water to keep lawns going for at least 4 weeks! Unless it gets really hot soon there is no reason to irrigate your lawn.
Owning a rain gauge and keeping an eye on what lands in it is a great way to conserve water as well as money. And who doen't want to save both. Each time we get free water from the sky can be an opportunity to let the sprinklers rest. For example, using the 1" of water per week guide, if a 1/2" lands in the rain gauge that is one irrigation cycle you can skip, if you water twice a week. Using the sprinkler system to supplement the rain is a great way to conserve a precious resource - western slope river water.
