Longmont, CO – – – Officials with the Rocky Mountain Sod Growers (RMSG) and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) recently announced a partnership between the two organizations. “Sod growers know that the key to healthy lawns revolves around water. Most people don’t understand the water needs of their grass, and so overwater. This has led some people to believe that grass is bad for the environment when the opposite is actually true,” said Ed Markham, President of the RMSG. “By working with a leader in water conservation, and the scientists that study the water needs of turfgrass, we will be able to conduct a very valuable educational campaign this summer. We are pleased to be working together.”
Dr. Mary Hattendorf, Water Management Conservation Specialist with NCWCD added, “Through my work studying the water needs of plants I understand the benefits that turfgrass provides. It often gets a bad rap. However, plants such as Kentucky Bluegrass have the ability to go dormant in a drought, something that is very valuable in our arid climate, but not understood by many. Through this partnership we will work to provide more factual information that consumers may rely on when making their plant choices and managing their turfgrass.”
The RMSG recently received a Specialty Crop Grant through the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The grant will be used to educate the general public, and municipalities, concerning the facts about turfgrass water usage, benefits to the environment and increasing property values throughout 2017.
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