Projects

Investigation and Development Methods to Determine Urban Landscape Irrigation for Planning and Permitting in Central Florida

Sponsor: Southwest Florida Water Management District

Timeline: 4/25/2007 – 10/31/2012

Abstract:

Florida’s urban landscape water use is expected to grow considerably over the next few decades. With the development of a more precise approach to the allocation of water for landscape irrigation, more water could become available for other demands. This project addresses five main objectives to aid in establishing acceptable landscape aesthetic quality while reducing water demand. The objectives are:

Determine the crop coefficient for species of turfgrass used in Florida landscapes.
Determine turfgrass rooting characteristics to allow an accurate determination of irrigation allocation.
Determine the crop coefficient for several ornamental species under reduced water conditions commonly encountered in residential landscapes.
Determine landscape coefficient of mixed species landscapes under varying percentages of planted area and well-watered conditions.
Determine landscape coefficient of mixed species landscapes with a fixed ratio of turfgrass to ornamentals and three levels of ET replacement (i.e. variable irrigation levels).