Georgia Department of Natural Resources

2 Martin Luther King Jr., Dr., Suite 1152 East Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Noel Holcomb, Commissioner

Carol A. Couch, Ph.D., Director

Environmental Protection Division

(404) 6564713

For Immediate Release April 18, 2007

GEORGIA EPD DECLARES LEVEL TWO DROUGHT STATEWIDE

The director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has declared a

level two drought response across the state and will require all Georgians to follow a

more stringent outdoor water use schedule.

“Every area of Georgia has been in a persistent and progressive drought condition

since last June,” said EPD Director Carol A. Couch. “It’s important that we take steps

now to prepare for the warm, typically dry summer months.”

The drought declaration was made following a meeting today of the State Drought

Response Committee. The Committee includes representatives from several state, federal

and local agencies, as well as universities and non-government

organizations. The EPD

Director, working with State Climatologist David Stooksbury, consults with the

Committee members and then determines whether a drought response declaration is

appropriate.

“March was very dry, and it’s historically a very wet month in Georgia,” said State

Climatologist Stooksbury. “That’s one of the reasons we’re in trouble now.”

The level two drought was declared for all of Georgia. EPD Director Couch said

drought conditions will continue to be monitored and she will confer with the Drought

Response Committee again in a month. Revised drought response declarations will be

issued as necessary.

A level two drought response declaration limits outdoor water use to mornings only.

The new outdoor watering schedules statewide are as follows:

Ø      Odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays12 midnight to 10 a.m.

Ø      Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays12 midnight to 10 a.m.

The level two outdoor watering schedule replaces the level one drought schedule,

which had been in place for the past year. The level one drought schedule was as

follows:

Ø      Odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays12 midnight to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 12 midnight.

Ø      Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays12 midnight to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 12 midnight.

The level two outdoor watering schedules are effective immediately. Local

governments and water utilities may impose more stringent watering schedules.

Citizens are encouraged to contact their local water providers for more specific

guidance.

More information about the outdoor water use schedules can be found on the EPD

web site at www.gaepd.org. To learn more about water conservation, please go to the

EPD Water Conservation web site at www.conservewatergeorgia.net. Detailed

information on the drought can be found at www.georgiadrought.org.

Contact: Kevin Chambers

(404) 651-7970

Statewide water education campaign kicks off ... helping

Georgians save their lawns and their water!

ATLANTA, Ga. (Aug. 17, 2006) – “Beat the Drought, Save Your Lawn, waterSmart” is the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ mantra as its new campaign launches today, helping Georgians learn how to preserve their lawns while conserving water as the state remains in a declared Drought Level One.

“We have two priorities with our waterSmart message,” said Alice Miller Keyes, water conservation policy advisor to the Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.  “The first priority of course is to conserve water and the second is to help Georgians learn how to maintain beautiful, healthy lawns using less water.  It’s important that people realize they don’t have to sacrifice their landscapes during times of drought.” 

According to Keyes, healthy landscapes are important for a variety of purposes, both environmental and economic.  Healthy landscapes prevent run-off, provide shade and habitat for wildlife – as well as increase the aesthetics and property values of a community.

However, the majority of household water in Georgia is used during the summer months for outdoor landscape purposes, which can put a strain on local water supplies.  And what most homeowners don’t realize is that over-watering can be just as damaging to a lawn as a lack of water. 

According to landscape professionals, during dry weather, people tend to water their lawns more often, thinking this will help maintain their landscape – but the over-watering actually causes shallow root growth, causing the grass to lose its ability to survive drought.  In past drought cycles, more Georgia lawns have been damaged from over-watering than from lack of water.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Drought Committee have teamed up with waterSmart, an ongoing water conservation program, to offer simple, state-of-science tips for maintaining healthy lawns while using less water:

• Water in the early morning (4-8 a.m.) to prevent evaporation.

• Don’t water your lawn too frequently -- Generally, to remain healthy an established lawn needs about one inch of water every seven-to-ten days.

• Water slowly and deeply so the soil absorbs water 6” to 8” deep.

• Turn off your automatic irrigation system when it rains – or better yet – use an automatic time controller and attach a rainfall sensor to turn off the irrigation system if significant rainfall occurred.

• During dry weather, raise your mower blade – and always keep it sharp.  Cutting the grass higher encourages deeper rooting – and dull blades shred leaf tips causing the turf to use more water.

• Practice Xeriscape landscaping, which cuts lawn water use by 50 percent! (Xeriscape is a water-friendly landscape that incorporates the utilization of drought-tolerant plants, as well as smart plant placement, to dramatically reduce the amount of water necessary to maintain a healthy landscape.)

Educational brochures and other information are being distributed throughout the state. To learn more about waterSmart and other water conservation programs visit www.conservewatergeorgia.net  or www.waterSmart.net.

About waterSmart

The waterSmart program was developed in conjunction with the Georgia Water Wise Council and the Cobb County Cooperative Extension Service.  It is endorsed by the Georgia Green Industry Association and the Georgia Turf Association, as well as numerous lawn and garden experts.