“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin
Whether you live closer to the town center or further out, the water that comes from your tap is taken from a river system. Wenham and Hamilton’s water comes from the Ipswich River, either directly or through groundwater wells that diverts water from the river. The Ipswich River supplies water to Beverly, Danvers, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Middleton, Peabody, Salem, Topsfield, Wenham and Wilmington.
The state advises residential water consumption be limited to 65 gallons a day per person. Shockingly, almost 100 Massachusetts communities are exceeding state guidelines for water usage; the average daily usage in many communities ranges from 75 to 167 gallons per person per day. Saving water saves energy and money, helps restore our local rivers to health, sustains all species that depend on the river for life, and makes the region’s water supplies more reliable during droughts.
Both Hamilton and Wenham have issued water bans and are reminding residents that this ban prohibits the use of lawn and garden sprinklers of all types, including the use of drip irrigation hoses or other devices that use subsurface applications. This ban also includes using water from private wells. Hand watering is permitted, preferably between the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M. This mandatory restriction was put in place because the Ipswich River streamflow continues to drop below the flow rates deemed necessary by MassDEP to sustain a healthy watershed to supply Hamilton wells the water to meet Town demand year round. The Town urges residents to continue water conservation efforts because it is critical to keep our water source available. Here’s a graph to show our current deficit.
This ongoing water ban obviously affects your garden maintenance and there are ways you can still be a good water steward and cater to the needs of your flora. It’s important to know that the current ban isn’t just a freak occurrence; our region is susceptible to dry summers and water bans. Always be sensible when watering your plants/lawn/gardens, not just during a water ban. The ban is lifted once water tables return to normal but they can deplete again, and quickly.
As you design and make flora decisions, choose drought-tolerant plants and grasses for highly exposed sunny areas. This is not only water-smart, but a great maintenance time saver overall! Also, using a high quality soil that is rich in organic material can retain more moisture and nutrients than a sandy "old" soil (Of course, soil considerations must occur before the planting phase.)
Water your plants and lawns early morning or late evening, and always do it by hand during a water ban. Water ‘high risk’ plants and lawns first, and if possible, avoid adopting too many ‘high risk’ flora in the first place. This includes newly planted flora (the ones that will die quickly with unestablished roots & are not as mature). Try to plan new plantings for the spring and not in the middle of the summer because they are considered ‘high risk’ flora with a higher need for watering. Water ‘low risk’ flora last, or skip if possible. These are plants that will die at the end of the season regardless of watering, or lawns not in good shape.
Houseplants that are summering outside can be brought in so watering requirements are less.
Don’t worry about those yellow patches on your lawn. When it’s dry, most mature grass will go dormant and turn yellow but the base of the grass will remain living and need little watering and will green up as soon as normal rainfall and cooler temps arrive (This is not true with new grass which is considered high risk)
Watering closer to the root is more efficient than spraying the top of your plants because you want the roots to be quenched. Once the ban lifts, consider installing a drip line irrigation system as a great solution if you want to be less hands-on. Drip line irrigation is the method of running water from a porous hose that runs along the location of your flora, which is more efficient than a sprinkler system that loses water from evaporation and wastes water on items that aren't high risk. Drip lines are a great way to water as it is direct with little waste and the pipes are under the mulch which prevents evaporation and directs moisture into the ground (however many local water bans still prohibit these, we are not sure we agree but are looking to debate that in this)
Adjust your approach to the lawn. Frequent watering will produce shallow roots while a longer deeper watering will produce deeper roots, thus helping in the future for less stress during droughts. Water at a slower trickle to allow water to seep into the ground, do not go full throttle as it will superficially flood the area but it will not be enough water to reach all the roots.
Many residents choose to pay the fine to use more water than each person is allocated. We advise against this. Try to follow the recommendations under the water ban and don’t install or prop up a landscape that requires too much resource. If you find you cannot spend the time to hand water, consider reaching out to a young person in the neighborhood who might want to be hired to hand water for you over the next few weeks and then talk to us about ways to convert your landscaping to a more realistic and environmentally-friendly design.
Consider Installing a Rainwater Harvesting System because they collect rainfall from roofs and channel it via gutters, pipes, or swales, keeping it on the landscape rather than allowing it to run off. Properly functioning rainwater harvesting systems can significantly reduce the need for supplemental irrigation in areas of measurable rainfall.
Mulch. Apply and maintain a layer of mulch 3-4 inches deep around garden plants and trees to keep the water in and weeds out. Be sure to keep mulch at least 1 foot away from tree trunks to avoid wet trunks and crowns, which subjects it to disease-forming pathogens. Adding mulch in your flower beds always helps trap in the moisture to the soil & keep the ground temperatures cooler,
Avoid over-fertilizing. Applying too much nitrogen leads to an overabundance of leaf production and the need for more water. Most mature landscape plants will get through a season or two with no supplemental fertilization. Fruit trees and vegetables require adequate nutrients for crop production. When water is scarce, fruit trees should not be fertilized; while the crop may be sacrificed, this practice reduces the water requirement and helps keep the tree alive. Annual vegetables may get by on slow-release nutrients supplied by organic matter and compost.
Control Weeds. Weeds usually outcompete garden plants for water. Pull them when they are small making sure to remove all the roots.
Dust off the Old Broom. Sweep garden debris off of sidewalks and driveways rather than hosing them off.
Plan your watering. Do not try to water all plants at one time, spread it out and do them by sectioning off areas and concentrating on a section at a time. Always saturate areas and allow them to dry before saturating again. It is best to set the schedule before the plant starts to wilt.
More Resources:
https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/efficient-outdoor-watering
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8553.pdf
Design a water-smart landscape. The EPA put this handy guide out for you to use as you consider a smart design. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/ws-outdoor-water-efficient-landscaping.pdf