Facts and tips on water usage and conservation are presented weekly by the City of Walla Walla, in partnership with Walla Walla Community College and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.
Precipitation and moisture
Last September: 0.96 inches
This September as of Sept. 13: zero inches
Chinook salmon return numbers
Fish numbers in the Walla Walla River counted at Nursery Street Bridge in Milton Freewater, as of Sept. 5 are spring Chinook, 100, and steelhead, 371.
Data collected by The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Department of Natural Resources; funding provided by Bonneville Power Administration.
Water usage
This week’s average water use by all city customers: 13.23 million gallons per day.
Last week’s average water use: 13.47 million gallons per day.
Second week of September average water use: 13.51 million gallons per day.
Water use guidelines
For the week of Sept. 5-11, precipitation was zero inches and turf grass in the area used 0.99 inches of moisture, according to WSU AgWeathernet data. Home irrigators should have run spray-type sprinklers three times for 14 minutes and rotor-type sprinklers three times for 50 minutes this week. Calculations are based on average precipitation rates; please adjust for local conditions.
Yard care and water savings tips
• Rake winter leaf mulch back onto beds if winds blow it off.
• Prune fruit trees and other woody trees and shrubs while they are dormant (December-February).
• Tune up yard equipment; sharpen mower blades.
• Plan drip irrigation or soaker hoses for beds and containers to conserve water.