Landscape Management, October 2010

THEHALLMARK RON HALL EDITOR AT LARGE Becoming ever water wiser L ike a wizard I command water to fl ow clean fresh water When I turn on the faucet handle in my shower I expect the water to come out it does Technology grants me this shamanlike ability which Ive never been without and that I now regard perhaps like you as my birthright It never occurs to me that the faucet will fail me so accustomed am I to effortlessly accessing clean water that of course is irreplaceable for sustaining my envied American lifestyle To what do I owe this good fortune which is not shared by almost three billion of my earthly companions An estimated 900 million humans do not have access to safe drinking water and 26 billion do not have access to basic sanitation Certainly little that I have ever done entitles me to this incredible convenience For reasons beyond my comprehension I was born into this blessed U S A at a time when clean fresh and yes inexpensive water has always been at my fi ngertips Indeed our nations ability to harness water to do its bidding and raise our standard of living has been little short of astounding Take the engineering and harnessing of the Colorado River as one example perhaps its most stark Disregarding the misappropriations political wrangling and deleterious environmental consequences of its taming for the moment who can argue that its water hasnt made deserts fl ower into some of most agriculturally productive land on Earth that it hasnt been the single largest ingredient in allowing the growth of some of the nations largest and most dynamic cities and not coincidentally but certainly less recognized birthed the modern irrigation industry as we know it a key factor in the growth and continued evolution of our Green Industry Author Steven Solomon in his book Water The Epic Struggle for Weather Power and Civilization claims that the United States rose to its prominence in the world during the 20th Century due in large part to its success in using water in four categories effi ciently meeting our domestic needs drinking cooking sanitation economic production manufacturing mining agriculture power generation and transport shipping defense Within the past generation a fi fth category environmental sustainability has emerged It will fi gure largely in our special Water Wise coverage which begins on page 17 in this issue Weve arrived at the point in the evolution of our Green Industry and the understanding of what our efforts can accomplish that we can make vastly larger positive environmental impacts on the properties entrusted to our care As you read our Water Wise coverage you will gain in this fi rst of three monthly installments a greater understanding of water management and its role in sustaining the urban and suburban properties that are now so much a part of our lifestyles Our continuing coverage of irrigation and water issues will continue to focus on water use effi ciency and best management practices We wont focus on restrictions and bans Well be sharing examples of what were doing well and what were going to be doing better The Green Industry including our contractor segment is an industry of positive change Its in the forefront of a worldwide movement to use resources more wisely to preserve and improve our urban and suburban ecologies LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET OCTOBER 2010 10 Ron has been in the Green Industry for 26 years Contact him via e mail at rhall@ questex com As you read our Water Wise coverage you will gain in this first of three installments a greater understanding of how landscape irrigation fits into the total water picture of the urban and suburban properties within our communities