Reducing the Water and Carbon Footprint of Home and Community Gardens in the Treasure Valley
Thanks to our sponsors--United Water, Pacific Steel & Recycling, and The Idaho Statesman--Idaho Rivers United has an exciting new ad campaign on water conservation. You can view our ads here, which were published in the Idaho Statesman:
Idaho Rivers United has a new brochure on how water-wise gardening techniques impose a smaller carbon footprint, helping to curb climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to Idaho’s rivers and native fish.
Growing food in the Treasure Valley requires withdrawing water from the Boise River or its companion aquifer. Those withdrawals affect rivers directly by altering river flow and stressing fish, wildlife, and river ecology. Your food garden practices, therefore, are directly linked to river welfare. Additionally, because drinking water requires energy for pumping, treating, and pressurizing, and energy production releases greenhouse gases, reducing the amount of water used for home and community gardens reduces the carbon footprint of our community.
Food Consumption Links to River Welfare Given the increased interest in the local food movement, it is important for gardeners to grow food in the most water-efficient manner. Growing food in home or community gardens reduces energy-intensive packaging and the hefty carbon footprint of food transportation. If we were to truly eat local, however, our choices would be very limited; tomatoes, lettuce, and peas all require more water than our climate provides. Gardeners can maximize their garden’s productivity by being water-efficient: grouping plants with similar water requirements, maximizing production per square foot to reduce watering bare soil, watering only when necessary and only to root level, and installing drip irrigation systems.
Water-wise gardening is especially important in the Treasure Valley because increased water demand may lead to construction of a new dam on the upper Boise River that would harm endangered bull trout and other priceless river values. Water-wise gardening is one way to conserve existing supplies and reduce justification for dam construction.
Idaho Rivers United is taking the lead in educating the public on the need to conserve water. Water is Idaho's most precious resource, and Idahoans are beginning to wake up to the fact that action is needed to conserve our limited supply.
For more on our campaign to save water and reduce carbon pollution and climate change please visit Save Water and Energy
The Water Wise Campaign is an ambitious multi-media educational, outreach and advocacy campaign designed to teach Idaho's citizens how to protect our rivers by using water wisely. Check out our top 10 water saving tips at the link on the right hand side of this page.
Governor Cecil Andrus, Boise Mayor Dave Beiter and Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas are the stars of our TV advertisements.
Why Conserving Water Makes Sense
As our population grows, we place increasing strain on our available water supply. Many home owners continue to plant bluegrass (a water-needy grass seed) and pour water onto their lawns throughout the summer.
Using less water during the summer months can save homeowners and businesses money. In the United Water service area, for instance, water rates go up during summer months.
Conservation can stop, or slow, the need to build costly and environmentally destructive new storage dams. Some are already talking about additional storage dams in the Boise River drainage to meet future demand.
Using less water at home can help protect river health, which depends on adequate flows, especially during the winter and spring seasons.
If we don't seriously start conserving water now, the special benefits of our rivers may be gone tomorrow.
Idaho Wise Water Gardening Information, Landscaping and Plants
