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Figure 1: Central Arizona Project Canal in Phoenix, AZ in 2010.
(Photo: User: Onel5969, Wikimedia Commons)
Will the winter storms received over the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023 have an impact on Arizona’s drought?
According to University of Arizona climatologist Mike Crimmins, there is slight improvement in the short term, but long-term drought is still an issue. Arizona has been experiencing drought for decades. The most intense period of drought occurred the week of December 1, 2020, when 76.81% of Arizona land was affected (www.drought.gov).
The Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee confers weekly to advise the U.S. Drought Monitor authors on the current drought conditions in Arizona, and makes recommendations about the position of the drought boundaries for Arizona. The U.S. Drought Monitor is the official record of drought for Federal drought relief claims. Every Thursday, the Drought Status web page automatically updates with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map of Arizona (Drought Status | Arizona Department of Water Resources (azwater.gov).
Arizona’s Water Saving Culture
Figure 2: View of a residential community in Arizona.
(Photo: Pixabay.com)
The Arizona Department of Water Resources estimates that on average, each Arizona resident uses about 146 gallons per day. About 20 percent of the State's water supply is for municipal use, and most of this is residential. Up to 70 percent of that water is used outdoors (watering plants, swimming pools, washing cars, etc.) especially during the summer months, with the remaining used indoors (bathing, cooking, cleaning, etc.). Residents that incorporate water efficiency into everyday life help to preserve water for future generations. Learn about Water Conservation Tips for Arizona Residents and discover ways to contribute to Arizona's water-saving culture.
How is Water Management related to IPM?
Pests are living entities and water is critical to their survival. Pests will exploit any source of water such as leaky faucets, condensate from air-conditioning, broken irrigation lines, pet bowls and bird baths, and many other sources.
IPM, or integrated pest management emphasizes exclusion of pests by not providing water and food sources to pests. Thus, water management is closely related to IPM. In gardens and landscapes, adequate and timely irrigation is critical to overall plant health, because improper irrigation makes plants stressed and vulnerable to pest attack.
Landscape Watering Conservation Awareness
(Compiled by Donna Lorch, Master Gardener, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension).
50% to 70% of water use is outdoors. Because we live in a desert, we have a tendency to over water our landscape. Watering efficiently is one of the best and easiest ways to save thousands of gallons of water. Proper watering will also keep your landscape plants healthy and beautiful throughout the year. Compiled here are resources providing insight into what to plant, when to water, how often to water and how much to water.
Arizona Department of Water Resources, Conservation – Residential & Professional
https://new.azwater.gov/conservation/landscaping
Addressed are:
Arizona Municipal Water Users’ Association, (AMWUA) https://www.amwua.org/
Addressed are:
Landscape Watering for the Arizona Desert
https://www.amwua.org/landscape-and-garden/landscape-watering-for-the-arizona-desert
Plants for the AZ Desert
Landscaping with Style in the AZ Desert
https://www.amwua.org/landscaping-with-style
Water - Use It Wisely (WUIW) https://wateruseitwisely.com/
Addressed are:
City Resources
City of Apache Junction, https://www.ajwaterdistrict.org/conservation/water-conservation
Town of Carefree Water Company, http://www.carefreewaterco.com/waterconservation.html
Town of Cave Creek, https://www.arizonawaterfacts.com/mtw/cave-creek
City of Chandler, https://www.chandleraz.gov/residents/water/water-conservation
Town of Fountain Hills, https://www.fountainhillsaz.gov/342/Water-Conservation
Town of Gilbert, Watering your Yard, Watering Your Yard | Town of Gilbert, Arizona (gilbertaz.gov)
City of Glendale, Water Conservation and Sustainable Living - City of Glendale (glendaleaz.com)
City of Goodyear, https://www.goodyearaz.gov/government/departments/public-works/water-conservation
Town of Marana, https://www.maranaaz.gov/water-conservation
City of Mesa Water, https://www.mesaaz.gov/residents/water/water-conservation
City of Peoria, https://www.peoriaaz.gov/government/departments/water-services/sustainability-water-conservation
City of Phoenix, https://www.phoenix.gov/waterservices/resourcesconservation
https://www.phoenix.gov/waterservices/water-smart-blog/hoa
Town of Queen Creek, https://www.queencreekaz.gov/departments/utilities/water/water-conservation
City of Safford, http://cityofsafford.us/411/Water-Conservation
City of Scottsdale, https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Water
City of Surprise, https://www.surpriseaz.gov/275/Water-Conservation
City of Tempe, https://www.tempe.gov/government/municipal-utilities/water/water-conservation
City of Tucson, https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/residential-and-commercial-conservation
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/landscape
City of Yuma, https://www.yumaaz.gov/government/utilities/water-conservation
University of Arizona resource publications
AZ1298-2017, “Watering Trees and Shrubs, Simple Techniques for Efficient Landscape Watering” https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1298-2017.pdf
AZ1741-2017 “A Study of Irrigation Requirements of Southwestern Landscape Trees” https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1741-2017.pdf
AZ1497 “Water Wise Landscape Design in Five Easy Steps”, https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1497.pdf
AZ1048 “Care of Desert Adapted Plants”, https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1048.pdf
AZ1371 “Converting Turf to a Xeriscape Landscape”, https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1371.pdf
AZ1458-2015, “Doing our Part to Help Conserve Arizona’s Water Resources and Reduce Global Warming by Saving Energy at Home”, https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1458-2015.pdf
AZ1392-2016 “Drip Irrigation: The Basics”, http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1392-2016_0.pdf
AZ1681-2015 “Mowing Turfgrasses in the Desert”, http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1681-2015.pdf
We’ll Take Your Ticks
The Border Tick and Rickettsia Surveillance (BiTeRS) program of the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec) offers services to enhance surveillance for ticks and tick-borne pathogens of human health concern in California and Arizona. This is made possible through our project leaders at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Arizona, and collaborating local and state agencies, including the California Department of Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services.
We help every step of the way, and identification and pathogen testing are FREE. Collection supplies and protocols are provided, and partners receive all results on ticks they have submitted.
We work with partner organizations to:
Partner organizations may be:
Download the BiTeRS Flyer for distribution: https://pacvec.us/biters/
What the Heck is This?
If you know the answer, email Dawn at dhgouge@arizona.edu. You will not win anything if you are correct, but you will be listed as a “Master Pest Detective” in the next newsletter issue.
What’s Bugging You? First Friday Events (New York State IPM Program)
Fridays | 12:00 pm. – 12:30 p.m. EDT | Zoom | Free; registration required
The first Friday of each month, spend half an hour over lunch learning about practical solutions for pest problems with the New York State IPM Program. Each presentation will end with an IPM Minute.
https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/first-friday-events/
Upcoming First Friday Events:
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Urban and Community IPM Webinars
Host: University of California
UC Statewide IPM Program Urban and Community webinar series is held the third Thursday of every month to teach about pest identification, prevention and management around the home and garden. This series is free but advanced registration is required. Dates and topics below, all begin at noon Pacific. https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucipm-community-webinars/
Upcoming webinars:
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EPA Webinars about Integrated Pest Management
The EPA Center of Integrated Pest Management hosts a webinar series featuring national experts from across the country relaying educational and practical strategies for establishing and improving integrated pest management programs in buildings. We invite you to review the information on the past topics. Register for new or review archived IPM webinars https://www.epa.gov/ipm/previous-webinars-about-integrated-pest-management.
Upcoming webinar:
Many people do not realize that certain fungi are now being used as pesticides to provide selective control of insect pests. These biopesticides are usually inherently less toxic than conventional pesticide and generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms. This webinar will highlight some of these biopesticides, such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium, and the novel ways in which they are being used to manage important pests, including bed bugs and mosquitoes. Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2831499054611375118
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Save the Date: 6th Arizona School IPM Conference
In person on April 18th and 19th, and Online April 24th – May 31st, 2023.
A great opportunity for continuing education not only for schools and childcare, but also for community colleges, city parks and rec, turf and landscape managers, golf course supervisors, and other institutional staff engaged in operations, maintenance, turf and landscape, food service, health services and many other areas. The online format makes it accessible to persons anywhere in Arizona and other states. Registration information and schedule coming soon. Have a question?
Call 520-374-6299 or email nairs@arizona.edu.
View recordings of previous EPA Integrated Pest Management Webinars at https://www.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools/upcoming-integrated-pest-management-webinars.
For more information about the EPA Schools program: http://www.epa.gov/schools/.
To view all our previous newsletters, visit: https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/community-ipm/home-and-school-ipm-newsletters.
Acknowledgements
This material is in part funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2021-70006-35385 that provides Extension IPM funding to the University of Arizona. It is funded in part by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Western Integrated Pest Management Center, grant number 2018-70006-28881. Additional support is provided by the UA Arizona Pest Management Center and Department of Entomology. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or those of other funders.
