Reduction of irrigation waste by DSUSD

Campus Supervisor Mission in DSUSD – Reduce Irrigation Waste at DSUSD stations.

Enrique Lyon joined the team five years ago in the Desert Sands School District. As a land surveyor, he was tasked with reducing irrigation water loss at DSUSD stations. His commitment was to the environment and to the district budget. His efforts included a step-by-step plan to replace new irrigation systems and ornamental grasses and shrubs with desert landscapes.

“It’s all about solutions,” said a certified irrigation technician and California Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA). After 18 years with the Neighboring School District, Lyon, who lives near the district, did not realize that the landscape of the schools included overgrown weeds, grassy areas, uncultivated fields and vegetation. Heavy watering is required. He was therefore required to apply when the site controller was opened by DSUSD.

According to Lyon, the first step he took was to create a centralized irrigation system. We have implemented the use of Evaporations in our irrigation programs. The team further explained that it has implemented the IT irrigation system. This system combines modern horticultural science and proprietary web-based technology to automate the spraying and drip irrigation program. Irrigation depends on the current climate and specific terrain, including vegetation, soil type, slope, and shade.

The satellite service used to control water levels is free of charge from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) but requires system installation and programming by the DSUSD technology team. Leon said, “Let me explain how it works. If you have a 12 ounce bottle of water and drink two ounces, then you want to replace the water. They also return only two ounces, as they leak from the bottle. It is similar to soil. Depending on how much the weather station is blown, it will adjust the actual water irrigation programs needed to replace the daily water loss or evaporation by talking to the irrigation computer. Even if we have five different ET zones in the valleys, we do not use this program to irrigate excess water.

Principal David Gustafson, Edd. , Land Supervisor Enrique Lyon and Superintendent Scott Bailey were exploring zero space at the Eisenhower Community Education Center in Indo.

Leon explained that the Desert Sands Unified School District has five different zones within 752 square miles. Each zone should be considered during irrigation. These zones include high winds in areas such as Tila Hills High School, Desert Ridge Academy and Andrew Jackson Elementary School with low winds near Indo High School. The valley is also home to a wide variety of soils, including sand, silt, clay, and sand. Other factors to consider are the depth of vegetation and grass roots, what kind of plants / grass are in the shade, and plants / grass that receive direct sunlight.

Water conservation began almost immediately. To meet with DSUSD Director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation, Gabriel Delao, Lyon met with this “reporter” to discuss ways to reduce water use throughout the county.

As the team of three certified irrigation technicians, Lyon, Delao and 22 landscaping teams went to work, they not only reduced the district’s land use, but also lifted the district’s penalties for water use.

Appreciation Scott Bailey and Land Supervisor Enrique Lyon Indo Water Authority General Manager Trish Rey presented one of the most appreciated discount checks.

In just a few short years, they will be responsible for a department that receives more than $ 230,000 from the Cochela Valley and Indiio Water Districts. In addition, each year the two water districts issue numbers on customer efficiency. The 2020-2021 figures will bring the school district closer to 80% efficiency. This is one of the highest levels in the desert.

Additional programs established by Lyon and the group include:

Field Verification It is also known as aerodynamics. This process saves water and provides a better view of playgrounds and playgrounds.

Top dress fields It involves the application of a uniform thin layer of soil or well-developed organic matter on the lawn. It helps to level the playing field in the event of minor differences or depression, helps to improve the physical properties of the soil, and creates a better growth environment for the lawn. This process protects the fields evenly and helps to reduce stress by eliminating depression on the lawn.

Fertilizer programs Give the grass a proper diet. This promotes grass strength, and in turn improves field safety and play conditions. Many factors include the type of grass in the final fertilizer program, soil type, time of year, strength of field use and performance expectations, and budget.

IPM program (Integrated Pest Management) is a system that can control pests using safe and low-toxic methods. IPM is integrated because it uses biological, organic, cultural, mechanical and chemical alternatives to control pests.

Improvements to all desert sands, including playgrounds and sports fields, are a year-round program. The team continues to find the best, most cost-effective and efficient ways to provide safe playgrounds for students and to show desert land and save money for the district. As Lyon puts it, “It’s all about children!”

Editor’s note – DSUSD State Superintendent Enrique Lyon provided a great resource for this article.