Water Conservation Resources for Farmers
Drought conditions are especially hard on farmers, who need consistent water to be able to grow productive crops. Therefore is it extremely important to growers to improve irrigation methods and efficiency on their fields. We are working to provide more technical assistance to local growers across the Northern Olympic Peninsula to better understand water use.
If you are farmer or grower interested in reducing your water use, improving soil retention, water saving methods, or in need of irrigation advice, check out the compiled resources below!
Soil Moisture Sensor Project
Last summer we installed Watermark Soil Moisture Sensors on six farms throughout the Olympic Peninsula. In partnership with the Callam County Conservation District, we hope providing small-scale farmers with frequent soil moisture data will help improve irrigation water management and understanding about plant available water and crop water stress.
Are you a farm in Clallam County?
Interested in getting soil moisture probes installed on your farm? Send inquires to samantha.grieger@wsu.edu for more information.
Watermark Sensors Info:
Irrigation Resources & Tools
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- Clallam Conservation District – Irrigation Water Management
- WSU Regional Small Farms Program – Water, Weather & Drought
- Irrigation in the PNW website
- WSU Extension Publications – Water & Irrigation
- Ag Weather Net by WSU
- Irrigation Schedule Mobile
- Weather Guided Irrigation Management Seminar
Dry & Low Water Farming
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Dry farming is crop production without irrigation during a dry season by utilizing moisture stored in soil from the rainy season. This can be done in regions that receives at least 20 inches of rainfall annually. Applying some practices used in dry farming could help reduce water needs on your farm:
- Dry Farming Institute
- Washington Water Resilience Field Tour Series
- Dry Farming Techniques in the PNW
- Dry Farming Zine – intro to dry farming & crop types by OSU
- Organic Vegetables – introduction dry farming veggie crops
- Dry Farming Collaboration YouTube Channel
Soil Health & Water Retention
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Healthy soil improves soil water retention and crop water efficiency. Better understanding the texture, type, and health of your soil can help reduce water losses & watering frequency. Resources to learn more about soil health are below.
- Soil Health Initiative by WSU
- Estimating soil moisture by texture and appearance
- Lecture: Soil management in dry farming
- Soil testing for vegetables
Missed our December 10th 2024, WSU Extension Clallam County presented with the City of Sequim and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal partners.
Check out the speakers’ presentation slides below:
As the rains return, it’s a perfect time of year to reflect on how drought conditions impact our community. Educating ourselves about the realities of drought can help us be more prepared for the effects it may bring next summer. By understanding why droughts occur here, we can continue to appreciate and prioritize water conservation in our community.
Sammi Grieger, Water Conservation Coordinator at WSU Extension
Outdoor Water Use
The Department of Ecology estimates that in Washington at least 80 to 90% of residential of outdoor water use is consumed. In other words, most of water used outside is lost from the immediate water environment due to evaporation, transpiration or human consumption, rather than being able to recharge surface or groundwaters.
Nationwide, over 30% of the 29 billion gallons of water used daily in households is for outdoor use.
In drier climates (and during warm summer months) our outdoor use can be as high as 70% per household.
In the Sequim area, watering a ¼ acre of lawn during peak summer months can use between 850 to over 1,000 gallons per day
What Can You Do to Save Water?
In the Lawn:
- Let your lawn go dormant this summer. When rain returns in the fall, your grass will turn green again, just like the trees and shrubs in springtime.
- Taller turf grass promotes deeper roots. The deeper the roots, the healthier the plant.
- Mow less to allow deeper root development.
- If you have to water grass, focus on watering outdoor deeply and less frequently. Ample watering is more effective than numerous superficial waterings.
- Place a shallow pan under sprinklers to help measure your depth of watering.
In the Garden:
- Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation losses. Like lawns, ample infrequent waterings is better than frequent superficial watering.
- Use trickle or drip irrigation systems if possible.
- Collect runoff from roofs or other surfaces for garden use. Learn more about rainwater collection here.
- Mulch! Use mulch around the surface of trees, shrubs, flowers, and garden crops to reduce water loss.
- Plant native, drought-resistant plants, groundcovers, and shrubs to reduce water loss in your yard.
In the Drive:
- Sweep it, don’t spray it! Use a broom for cleaning leaves and debris off driveways and sidewalks, rather than hosing them off.
- Drive dusty! Reduce washing your car at home, and if you must, do it at a carwash where water is recycled.
Additional Resources
About the Drought:
- Drought Conditions in Clallam County
- Ecology’s Statewide Drought Conditions
- Elwha River flow conditions
- Dungeness River flow conditions
- National Water and Climate Center interactive map
- Low Flow Alert Dungeness by Women League of Voters
Local Water Management Organizations:
- Washington Water Trust
- Dungeness River Management Team (DRMT)
- Clallam Conservation District
- Clallam County Public Utility District
- Jamestown S’Klallam Natural Resources Program
- Sequim Water Reclamation Facility
- Clallam County Dungeness Water Rule
- City of Port Angeles Conservation Programs
Resources for Saving Water at Home:
- Water Conservation — Dept of Ecology
- Eye on Water Supply Handout — Dept of Ecology
- Washington Dept of Health Water Saving Resources
- Conservation Around the House –Clallam Conservation District
- EPA Water Sense for Outdoors
- Outdoor Water Conservation Handout –DOH
- Rainwater Collection
- Alliance for Water Efficiency — Landscape & Irrigation
- Low Maintenance Turf — OSU
- Guide to Mulches
- Selected Hardy Plants for Waterwise Landscapes — WSU
- Drought Tolerant Landscaping for Washington State (Home Garden Series)
The Story of Water Project
Interested in learning more about how water moves through your local watershed? Check out the Story of Water lecture series created by League of Women Voters and other local collaborators in 2019:
Video Lecture Series:
- From Source to Sea: Dungeness Watershed film
- How our Water System Works: The Hydrology of the Dungeness Watershed
- Olympic Mountain Glaciers and Snowpack: Changes and Future Challenges
- Tribal Water Rights and History: “From Time Immemorial”
- Water Law in Washington: Who Owns the Water and What Are Our Rights?
- Irrigators and Protectors: Rights and Conservation Actions Exercised by Our Farmers
Stay Tuned!
More information regarding drought conditions on the North Olympic Peninsula, water saving tips for homeowners, resources for farmers, and events coming soon!