Introduction
The UNL Landscape Services Irrigation Management Plan will help us prepare for drought and minimize the damage drought can cause to our campus landscape.
The Water Use Management Team consists of the Landscape Services Director, Irrigation Manager, City Campus Landscape Manager, East Campus Landscape Manager and the Nursery Supervisor. The team will declare Phases 1 through 4 of this Irrigation Plan to be in force according to the terms of the Lincoln Water System Water Management Plan and drought conditions. UNL will always be in compliance with and may exceed the requirements of the Lincoln Water System Water Management Plan.
General Watering Practices
- Automatic systems are made up of several zones, each set to run between 1:00 am and 7:00 am.
- Some parts of Campus are irrigated using manual sprinklers. These areas will be watered during regular work hours.
Phase 1 - Increased Conservation of Water
Implementation of this phase should result in a reduction in water use of approximately 15%.
- Operation of overhead, automatic irrigation systems, manual watering zones and hand watering schedules will be limited to three times weekly on designated days. Within the proximal zones of these automatic systems, hand watering will be limited to the same schedule. All automatic and manual irrigation zones will be designated as having an even, odd or "other" address.
- Manual and hand watering of turf areas will end by 1:00 p.m. To preserve the trees and shrubs on campus, we will continue to water as necessary.
- Selected areas of campus determined by the Water Use Management Team will no longer receive regular irrigation. These areas will receive supplemental irrigation, if needed, every 21 days to maintain the viability of plantings.
- New turf seeding or landscape planting will be restricted at the discretion of the Water Use Management Team.
Phase 2 - Implementation of Designated Day Watering Schedule
Implementation of this phase should result in a reduction in water use of approximately 50%.
- Operation of overhead, automatic irrigation systems, manual watering zones and hand-watering schedules will be limited to twice weekly on designated days. (Although the City plan permits three days per week irrigation, we will generally confine our automatic and manual operations to two days per week.) Within the proximal zones of these automatic systems, hand watering will be limited to the same schedule. All automatic and manual irrigation zones will be designated as having an even, odd, or “other” address.
- Manual and hand watering of turff areas will end by 11:00 a.m. To preserve the trees and shrubs on campus, we will continue to water as necessary.
- Washing of vehicles and equipment will be limited to specific days and only to preserve the equipment.
Phase 3 - Increased Water Use Restrictions
Implementation of this phase should result in a reduction in water use of approximately 75%.
- Operation of automatic systems and manual watering zones will be limited to a single operation per week on a designated day that is approved by the Water Use Management Team. The day selected for operation will be one of the two days previously designated under Phase 2.
- Additional selected areas of campus, determined by the Water Use Management Team, will no longer receive regular irrigation. These areas will receive supplemental irrigation, if needed, every 21 days to maintain the viability of plantings.
- Manual and hand watering of turf areas will end by 9:30 a.m. To preserve the trees and shrubs on campus, we will continue to water as necessary.
- All non-essential outdoor water use will be eliminated, including vehicle and equipment washing.
Phase 4 - Water Restriction Warning
Implementation of this phase should result in a reduction in water use of approximately 90%.
- Operation of automatic systems in areas where turf may be allowed to go dormant will stop. A schedule to water turf will be implemented on a 21-day interval.
- Manual and hand watering of turf areas will end by 9:30 a.m. To preserve the trees and shrubs on campus, we will continue to water as necessary.
- Trees, shrubs, and perennials that are showing signs of stress due to drought will be watered by hand or automatic systems where appropriate at the discretion of the Water Use Management Team.
Nursery Management Practices
Our plant nurseries are subject to the same terms as commercial nurseries under the Lincoln Water System Water Management Plan.