USU grounds manager outlines five water-wise principles; says campus cut irrigation by ~40% and aims for deeper reductions

Shane Richards, Utah State University's landscape operations manager, told attendees of a Utah Division of Water Resources webinar that a campus program of construction best practices, irrigation maintenance, plant selection and targeted soil treatments produced large irrigation savings — and that similar tactics can work for municipalities and homeowners.

Richards said the university saved roughly 40% of its irrigation water after drought-era changes beginning in 2021 and has set a goal to reach about 60% reductions without sacrificing landscape function or appearance. “We saved about 40% of our water,” he said, “and our goal now is about a 60% savings.”

He framed the campus approach as five principles: proper landscape construction (avoid compaction and use appropriate topsoil), maintenance of irrigation systems, selection of the right plants for each microclimate, remediation of compaction (aeration for turf; air spading for trees), and targeted use of wetting agents and growth regulators.

On construction and soils, Richards advised bringing in well‑graded topsoil (he described a campus practice of roughly 12 inches of topsoil with limits on clay content) but cautioned that excessive compaction during finishing work negates those benefits. He showed campus examples where compacted areas browned despite good topsoil, while areas loosened by trenching or excavation recovered quickly after irrigation was restored.

To improve infiltration and reduce dry spots, Richards recommends regular inspection and repair of irrigation systems, proper head spacing to ensure overlap, and high-efficiency nozzles that can reduce runoff by roughly 30 percent. He said a single broken head watering overnight can waste as much water as a full week of properly functioning irrigation.

For compaction remediation, Richards advised core aeration for turf (ride-on or rented aerators that pull 3–4‑inch plugs) and professional air spading for trees to loosen soil around roots and backfill with better medium. He noted that most tree roots and much of the active root zone are concentrated in the top 18 inches of soil.

Richards described wetting agents and polymers as helpful tools. He differentiated infiltration-type products (which help water enter hydrophobic soils) from hydration-type products (which retain water like a sponge). Richards said he uses a product blend on campus (described in the session as Cascade, roughly 10% infiltration and 90% hydration in his experience) and reported that combining aeration, wetting agents and growth regulators helped the university achieve about a 40 percent reduction in turf irrigation on earlier pilots. He added that, in his practice, combining those tools with changed fertilization practices can reduce turf water use by roughly 50% while keeping playing surfaces usable.

On fertilizer and scheduling, Richards recommended slow-release nitrogen products about three times per year for typical turf, or adjusted quick-release schedules at lower application rates; campus sports turf is aerated frequently (he described monthly aeration April–October and specialized schedules up to 20–25 times per year for sports fields).

In a Q&A, Richards answered practical questions on peat moss, growth regulators (which he supports for redirecting growth and improving water efficiency), soil sampling through Utah State University Extension, and approaches to give established trees adequate water without encouraging surface-root competition.

Richards offered to share resources after the session and the Division said it will circulate the recorded webinar and materials to attendees.