Drought makes it tough for area residents to maintain green grass

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The drought in northeast Indiana is hurting homeowner's yards.  One local irrigation company said Sunday grass in the area is losing 1.5 inches of water a week.

As of Sunday, rainfall in northeast Indiana was six-inches below average for this time of year. The lack of rain has forced homeowners to use extra water to keep their grass looking green.

People watering their yards have seen an increase in their water bills, but some said it’s worth the extra money.

“It’s a little hard on the water bill, but you have to do what you have to do,” Richard Gibson, a homeowner in Fort Wayne, said.

“It is [worth the extra money],” Deb Cosbey said.  “We don’t water excessively, we just don’t want to lose our lawn and have to put in a new one.  When things start to get a little crunchy we just water a little bit."

Mark Pfister, an owner of Pfister Sprinkler Systems, said lawns are losing 1.5 inches of moisture a week, and it's difficult to put that much water into the ground.

“What we really need are long soaking gentle rains, not the heavy thundershower downpours,” said Pfister.

Pfister said the best time for watering your lawn is in the morning.  Ideally between 4 and 10 a.m.

Watering at night can ignite diseases in your grass.

“If you water at night that can increase your chances of getting mildew and funguses,” Marissa Jones, the assistant manager at Neuhauser’s Nursery, said.

“Watering in the dead of the afternoon you can lose up to 30% to evaporation,” said Pfister.  “So it's not an efficient way to water your lawn."

Homeowners NewsChannel 15 spoke with said they'll water their lawn a few times a week.

"I try to sprinkle my yard every couple of days," Gibson said.

"We've watered some," Crosbey said.  "Not daily, just enough to keep things from dying."

Grass isn't the only thing feeling the heat.  Pfister said plants are also showing signs of stress, and some trees are beginning to lose their leaves.

One water company has already requested people limit their water usage because of low water levels . 

"Even though they aren't mandatory restrictions right now, they could come to that point," Pfister said.  "So use your water wisely.  Make sure you're watering during the most effective time of the day."

To see if you are currently under a water restriction, contact your water company.

NewsChannel 15 will keep an eye on the drought conditions and update the area's year-to-date rainfall every weeknight and weekend on Nightcast.