Help conserve the water in
your Guest River Watershed by
following a few simple tips.
Washing Machine
21.7% of water use;
56,000 gallons/year
•Operate only full loads
and/or use correct volume
settings
•Consider a modern
replacement - old washers
use approximately 41
gallons per load, while new
high-efficiency machines
use only 23 gallons.
Dishwasher - 1.4%
of water use;
3600 gallons/year
•Wash full dish loads
•Consider a modern
replacement, it will reduce
water usage by 30-50%
per load
Irrigation Systems - seasonally
highest domestic use; up to
100,000 gallons/year or more
•Lawns need only 1
A watershed is any region that drains to a comon waterway. inch of water per week,
All land is divided into watersheds, where water will flow from and they don’t need
higher elevations to lower elevations through a series
of pathways, into a much larger waterway. to be watered daily;
overwatering causes 85%
of turf problems
Precipitation
Ridges: •Water at night, if
In Mountainous regions possible, to reduce
Riparian Buffers:
like Southwest VA, ridges act as
watershed divides, providing higher
Vegetation, such as trees, grasses, and evapotranspiration
elevations for water to flow from
shrubs help to slow water flow. This helps
to slow erosion. Riparian Buffers also •Upgrade your sprinkler
provide shade, keeping water temperatures clock
e
low. Fish like trout, are found in colder waterways.
id
•Install a rain shutoff
Div
Di
vid
e device
Tributaries
•Collect rainwater with
a rain bucket or cistern
system with drip lines
•Convert turf to low
water-use landscaping
such as drought resistant
grass, plants, shrubs and
trees
Ground Water:
•Plant during the Spring
Water infiltrates underground,
to saturate rocks and soil. Eventually or Fall when the watering
Non-Point Source
groundwater surges into a common waterway. Pollutant*: requirements are lower.
Most of our drinking water comes from groundwater flows. As water flows throughout the
watershed, water runoff carries human-made •We are more likely to
and natural pollutants into our waterways. Eventually notice leaky faucets
polluting our rivers, lakes, and underground drinking water sources. indoors, but don’t
*Non Point Source Pollutants can come from:
-Oil, grease, fertilizers, insecticides, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff forget to check outdoor
-Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes and faulty septic systems faucets, pipes and hoses
-Sediment from mining, crop and forest lands, and eroding stream banks for leaks.