By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The annual outdoor water restrictions that began June 1 in Hays will end for the season on Saturday.
Outdoor watering was prohibited between noon and 7 p.m. for both city customers and private well owners.
But Ellis County is in a drought, with conditions ranging from severe to extreme, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
If the weather in Hays remains dry and windy, which it sometimes does in October, property owners should water landscape plants and turfgrass, if necessary, early in the morning or at night to make best use of water resources, said Holly Dickman, Hays water conservation specialist.
"Fortunately, with cooler night temperatures and shorter days, the need for supplemental irrigation is greatly reduced," Dickman said. "Always be sure to check the soil first before turning on your irrigation system or garden hose."
If your landscape is stressed and you need to make decisions about what to water versus what not to, Dickman said the top priority should be healthy, established trees.
"Trees are some of the most valuable plants in the landscape and take the longest to get established and mature. Therefore, trees should be considered at the top of the list when it comes to supplemental irrigation during drought," Dickman said.
Trees may not show drought stress immediately.
"Sometimes it can be years later that the drought stress takes a toll on a tree's overall health," she said.
Dickman said to rank turfgrass at the bottom of your priority list because it's easier to replace and establish, if that becomes necessary.
The following water use prohibitions are effective year-round in Hays:
• No washing down of hardscapes such as sidewalks, parking lots or driveways
• No known loss of water through breaks or leaks in plumbing systems
• Escape of water from private property onto public property such as sidewalks or into the street gutter from landscape irrigation
For more information about creating a "WaterSmart Landscape" or saving water, go to www.watersmarthays.com.