News Release
New Online Service Offers Lawn Irrigation Help During Drought
Media Contact(s)
Dr. Charles H. Peacock, (919) 515-7615
Ryan Boyles, State Climate Office of North Carolina, (919) 513-2816
Sept. 12, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
North Carolina State University's Department of Crop Science and the State Climate Office of North Carolina have collaborated to launch The Turf Irrigation Management System (TIMS), an Internet based resource that will help lawn owners irrigate efficiently. TIMS is available free to anyone in North Carolina.
The TIMS Web site guides lawn owners through a step-by-step process that ultimately will help them determine how to improve irrigation practices and conserve water.
First, the system guides the lawn owner through a series of questions about the type of grass, soil and irrigation system currently in use. Lawn owners are then prompted to place containers throughout the irrigation area to measure the amount of water they're using over timed intervals. Once this data has been entered and the lawn owner's account established, TIMS calculates the amount of irrigation the lawn owner needs and keeps track of when and how much water is actually used.
Based on the lawn owner's address, climate information is then retrieved from the closest weather station, which is part of the N.C. Climate Retrieval and Observations Network of the Southeast (CRONOS). Ultimately, TIMS calculates the irrigation needed by the lawn owner's turf, based on recent weather conditions including precipitation and evaporation.
"Water conservation is everyone's business, especially as the drought in North Carolina worsens," says Dr. Charles Peacock, NC State professor of turfgrass science and a lead researcher in the TIMS project. "We believe that this system will help people across North Carolina to practice better water conservation for their lawns, landscapes or other
turfgrass areas in this critical time for water resources."
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