Premier Irrigation & Landscape

Newsletter
February 4th, 2015

Volume 12

Inside This Issue

Irrigation clock settings
Drought in Southern Oregon Article
Service agreements
Water saving tips
Smart Controllers and ET Sensors
Website & Facebook addresses
Reminders of the services we provide
Outdoor Lighting Article
Thank you for your business

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Irrigation Clock Settings

IRRIGATION CONTROLLER UPDATE - Your Seasonal Adjust or %
Adjust feature on your irrigation clock should still be in the 0% position.

Drought in Southern Oregon

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421

With the record low snow pack to date, the upcoming irrigation season is
probably going to be a challenging one. Here at Premier Irrigation &
Landscape we believe in being prepared. With that being said, we are going
to push really hard this year on water conservation and water efficiency. I
would just like all of our Clients to be using water in the most efficient
manner possible, so if and when water curtailments start, there wont be a
mad scramble to make changes. One of the best steps toward water
efficiency is a water usage inspection and summary. We accomplish these
inspections in two different factions. First they are a part of the Irrigation
Start-up procedure which we perform at the beginning of the year, and we
also do this inspection as a standalone service as well. If you would like to
schedule either of these services, please give Paul a call and well get you
scheduled for an evaluation.
Below is an article that ran in the Medford Mail Tribune toward the end of
January. It is a good article detailing the upcoming water year and some of
the effects the drought may have. You can view the article at:
http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150130/NEWS/150139951

E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

www.premierirrigation.net

Docks rest in the mud at Howard Prairie Lake on Friday as

precipitation continues to be in short supply. Mail Tribune / Jamie
Lusch
By Mark Freeman
Mail Tribune
Posted Jan. 30
Despite near-normal rainfall this winter, an abysmal snowpack is setting
new record lows here and throughout Western Oregon, causing water and
recreation managers to cringe at the prospect of a second consecutive year
of drought in Southern Oregon.
Heading into February, the Rogue and Umpqua river basins are sporting a
snowpack of just 18 percent of average less than the 22 percent of
average that set a record this time last year.
It's even worse at places like Diamond Lake, which was listed Friday as
snowless, something that's never been seen there, according to the Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
"It's shocking," says Julie Koeberle, a hydrologist with NRCS's snow-survey
program in Portland. "This year is replacing last year's records, and it's
looking pretty grim in your neck of the woods. But I don't want to worry too
soon."
Federal climate forecasters are predicting continued warmer-than-average
temperatures, Koeberle says.
"There's still time for improvement," she says. "There's still hope."

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421
E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

www.premierirrigation.net

Reservoirs such as Howard Prairie that limped into this winter nearly dry
from last summer's drought are ice-free and snowless from a warm
January. That doesn't bode well for irrigators or Howard Prairie Resort,
which struggled all last year getting visitors to the water.
"We're about 12 feet lower than this time last year," Jackson County Parks
Manager Steve Lambert says. "It's still about a foot below the toe of the
ramp at the resort.
"We knew last year was going to be a challenging year," Lambert says.
"This year will be even worse. That's OK. We can adjust."
But being 12 feet shy of last year is a major worry for Manager Jim
Pendleton of the Talent Irrigation District, who had a far better bank of
stored mid-winter water last year to make up for what didn't fall.
"Last year we had a relatively decent pool headed into the season," says
Pendleton, whose district delivers water from four reservoirs to 16,500

acres of land. "This year we're struggling to build it."

TID's reservoirs are snow-dependent, but even rain will help.
"If it falls now, at the very least we can collect it in the reservoirs,"
Pendleton says. "It's better than nothing."
Two of the few water bodies not looking worse than last year are Lost Creek
and Applegate reservoirs. The larger U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities
rely far more on rainfall than snowmelt, and they have benefited from when
and how this season's precipitation has fallen.
The Corps started filling Lost Creek on Jan. 1 and feasted on runoff from
late December storms. The lake is 2 feet above its normal filling curve
and 12 feet above this time last year, says Jim Buck, the Corps' Rogue
Basin project manager.
Applegate Lake, which the Corps officially starts to fill Sunday, is 8 feet
above its filling schedule and 40 feet higher than this time last year, largely
because the Corps did not purge all the water it captured during this
month's rains, Buck says.
"Our plan was to not aggressively evacuate water and then all of a sudden
immediately fall behind," Buck says.
Over the past four months, the basin's rainfall is at 92 percent of average,
according to the NRCS.
"If all of that had fallen as snow, we'd be in a lot better shape," Koeberle
says.
Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or
mfreeman@mailtribune.com
For your information:
Talent Irrigation District - http://www.talentid.org
Medford Irrigation District - http://www.medfordid.org

Service Agreements
This is a good time of year to sign a service agreement. That way you can
schedule the entire years irrigation services and know your system will be
maintained properly throughout the year. We can also include the service
of your outdoor lighting systems as well.
Our service agreements offer:

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421
E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

www.premierirrigation.net

Priority service Guaranteed within 48 hours year around

Any additional repair work is billed at the discounted $55.00/man hour
Any additional parts are billed at the discounted 15%
The service usually includes a Spring Start-up and a Fall Shut-down, plus
(3) to (5) visits throughout the irrigation year. As a reminder, the entire
agreement can be modified to fit your needs.
What benefit will a Service Agreement provide you and your irrigation
system and or outdoor lighting system? You will know that your irrigation
system is on our Priority list and your work will be scheduled before any
other work. You will also gain piece of mind that we will inspect and fix any
problems throughout the year, for trouble free operation.

Water Saving Tips

Below are a few tips to help conserve water. There are quite a few websites
dedicated to this topic, so do a little Surfing and youll be ready for the
upcoming irrigation season. Below is the Outdoor section of conservation.
OUTDOORS
Know the Basics
-Water early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are
cooler. Save: 25 gallons/each time you water,
- Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your
lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street. Save: 15-12
gallons/each time you water,
- Choose a water-efficient irrigation system such as drip irrigation for your
trees, shrubs, and flowers. Save: 15 gallons/each time you water,
- Water deeply but less frequently to create healthier and stronger
landscapes.
- Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to reduce evaporation and
keep the soil cool. Organic mulch also improves the soil and prevents
weeds. Save: 20-30 gallons/each time you water/1,000 sq. ft.,
- Plant drought-resistant trees and plants. Save: 30- 60 gallons/each time
you water/1,000 sq. ft.,
Dont Overwater
One easy way to cut down how much water you use outdoors is to learn
how much water your landscaping actually needs in order to thrive.
Overwatering is one of the most common mistakes people make. To
understand how much water your landscaping really needs, learn more
about Evapotranspiration (ET).
Get Smart
If you really want to be a sophisticated water user, invest in a weatherbased irrigation controlleror a smart controller. These devices will
automatically adjust the watering time and frequency based on soil
moisture, rain, wind, and evaporation and transpiration rates. Check with
your local water agency to see if there is a rebate available for the purchase
of a smart controller.
Know Your Climate

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421
E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

www.premierirrigation.net

One way to save water outdoors is to plant the right plants for your climate.
Here are some tools to help you learn how to be a water-wise gardener:
Explore the Save Our Water Water-Wise Garden Tool to learn what plants
and flowers will flourish in your neighborhood.
Sunset Magazines Plant Finder is another great tool.
Outdoor Cleanup
Water is often a go-to tool for outdoor clean-up jobs.
Use a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks and patios. Save: 8-18 gallons
/minute,
Wash cars/boats with a bucket, sponge, and hose with self-closing nozzle.
Save: 8-18 gallons/minute,
Invest in a water broom. If you have to use water to clean up outside, a
water broom will attach to your hose but uses a combination of air and
water pressure to aid cleaning. Water brooms can use as little as 2.8 gallons

per minute (gpm) to remove dirt, food spills, leaves, and litter from
concrete and asphalt while a standard hose typically uses 5 to 20 gpm,
If you have any questions on Smart Controllers or Smart Irrigation,
please give Paul a call. This is one of the areas we specialize in.

Smart Controllers and ET Sensors

Here at Premier Irrigation & Landscape, we specializes in trouble shooting,
maintenance, repairs and installation of irrigations systems. One of the
most important tasks we routinely embark upon is Smart Watering
upgrades. These tasks can be from installing new technology Smart
Clocks, to installing moisture sensors and weather stations, to re-working
systems into Hyrdo-zones, (Condenses water use into particular zones for
the specific water needs of individual plants), to installing high efficiency
sprinkler heads and nozzles, down to the simple repairing of leaks. Recently
we have had a good percentage of our clients ask about or have had us
upgrade their irrigation systems to Smart Controlled irrigation. Now this
can be accomplished through a Retro-fit if the existing irrigation clock is
weather station compatible, and if not, a completely new control system can
be installed.
Below is some information on Weather Based and Smart Irrigation
Controllers.
Weather Based and Smart Irrigation Controllers
Evapotranspiration, or ET, is the process by which water evaporates
from the soil and plants. Plants transpire by releasing water through
tiny pores called stoma (Just think of a human sweating). Plants also
use water in photosynthesis. ET measures all these water losses from
the landscape.
ET controllers are irrigation controllers that use some method of
weather-based adjustment of irrigation. These adjusting methods
include:

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421
E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

www.premierirrigation.net

Use of historical monthly averages of ET.

Broadcasting of ET measurements.

Use of on-site sensors to track ET.

The ET rate is dependent on such weather factors as sunlight,

temperature, wind, and humidity, and varies throughout the day. ET is
usually measured in inches per day and is highest in the summer and
lowest in the winter. Some ET controllers have the watering schedule
programmed into their computer chip based upon historical ET data for
a given region. Other ET controllers can change the water schedule
weekly based on the past weeks weather for a region via radio signal.
By scheduling watering based on ET rates, plants can receive the
required amount of water to remain healthy without over or under
watering since the ET controller adjusts the watering schedule
automatically. Because many homeowners do not adjust a
controllers watering schedule often enough, ET controllers have
the potential to increase watering efficiency. Most irrigation
manufactures project a 30% savings in water use through this
technology.

Most irrigation upgrades, which include adding an ET Sensor or Rain

Sensor are averaging between $300.00 - $350.00 (Installed) that is if the
irrigation clocks are sensor compatible.
If you would like to have us complete an evaluation of your current
irrigation system, just give Paul a call.

Visit Our Website & Like our Facebook Page

If you havent visited the web site, please take a minute to do so. There
are tabs of some of our projects, and what we find has the most positive
feedback is our Landscape Hints section. There are tips on fertilizers,
planting, growing healthy grass and all sorts of other topics. I also have an
extensive library of material on a vast number of topics, so if there is ever
anything you have a question about, please let me know and I might be
able to help. You can visit us at our web site at: www.premierirrigation.net.
Also please visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/PremierIrrigationMedford
If you Like our Facebook page, you will get a 10% discount on your next
irrigation winterization or start-up invoice.

Extending your Outdoor Living area with Outdoor Lighting

Below is an article that ran in the Medford Mail Tribune at the beginning of
February. It is a good article detailing some of the reasons why Outdoor
Lighting is such a popular trend in landscaping. You can view the article at:
http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150204/NEWS/150209847/101052/L
IFE

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421
E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

Posted Feb. 4, 2015

By Laura Firszt, Networx
Light up your landscape ... and your life. Add lighting to your
outdoor space for all the very best reasons beauty, safety and
increased property value. Find out all about the whys and
whats of lovely landscape lighting.

www.premierirrigation.net

Why
Safety. The No 1 reason to install landscape lighting is for safetys sake.
You and your family, and especially guests who are not as familiar with the
layout of your yard, will be gently guided as to the location of pathways,
steps, and abrupt slopes. Specialized lighting for your swimming pool and
its surroundings will enable you to swim more safely at night (just make
sure that any lights which come into contact with water conform to the
safety code).
Security. Shedding light on dim areas around your homes perimeter will
discourage loiterers and burglars, who prefer to work in the dark.
Beauty and fun. Theres nothing like the charm of a gorgeous garden or
an attractive outdoor seating and activity area ... except when its made
even more appealing by a well-planned lighting installation.
Usability. Outdoor living is the best, no matter how short or how long your
local warm-weather season may be. Use landscape lighting to extend the
hours you can spend enjoying your yard, garden, patio, pool, and/or
outdoor room.
Highlighting. Accent lighting can be designed show off an exceptionally
lovely flowerbed, water feature, or piece of statuary.
Convenience. Task lighting makes food prep in your outdoor kitchen or
grilling area a lot simpler and pleasanter. It may also encourage would-be
chefs assistants to join you.
Property value. Although having a landscape contractor install lighting is a
relatively inexpensive home improvement, youll reap a generous return on
your investment: more enjoyment and utility from your property, a
distinctive new look and increased curb appeal.
What to use
Type of power. Although todays halogen and fluorescent bulbs have
evolved and are now more energy-saving and attractive, LED lights tend to
be the most popular for landscape lighting, as they are extremely longlasting and efficient. Another option, solar lights, cost virtually nothing but
do depend on a certain amount of sunshine and require occasional battery
recharging.
Color/tint. Outdoor lighting comes in a variety of tints. The general guide
is to use white or bluish light (cool) on trees and plants, but yellowish or
orange (warm) light on pergolas, garden art and other human-made items.

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501
Phone:
(541) 778-2421
E-mail:

paul@premierirrigation.net

Web page:

www.premierirrigation.net

Technical specs. For safetys sake, all lights should be rated for UL wet
location. As always, contact the local building inspection office to see
whether there are code specifications governing outdoor lighting in your
locale. And make sure that the type of lighting effects you plan on are
acceptable to your HOA.
Keeping it subtle. Vary styles so your lighting piques interest and doesnt
look too matchy-matchy. Consider the existing illumination your yard
receives from streetlights and indoors, and avoid light pollution. Overuse of
outdoor lighting wastes energy and money, creates glare, and may disturb
residents of your home as well as your neighbors! It can even ruin the
romantic atmosphere of a garden by night.

Whats hot
Customized lighting. A custom system can be built for your garden that
uses controls such as dimmer switches, motion sensors, and timers to
create the lighting looks you want, when you want them.
Moonlighting. Placing blue-toned lights 30-40 feet up in your trees mimics
the effect of natural moonlight.
Moisture-resistant outdoor LED tape. This lends itself readily to a wide
variety of landscape applications, yet is safe to use in exterior weather
conditions.
Laura Firszt writes for networx.com. This post originally appeared here:
http://www.networx.com/article/landscape-lighting-for-beauty-safety-an.

There have been several really neat advancements in Outdoor Lighting

technology in the last couple of years. The LED lighting system we are
installing at the moment is completely adjustable in to zones with the ability
to raise and lower the intensity of each individual light fixture. The
possibilities are almost endless of how this new system can be adjusted.
Please give Paul a call if you would like to discuss how an Outdoor Lighting
system can increase the value of your property, extend your outdoor living
area, and sometimes the most important factor of all is the ability help
secure your home and property.

Reminders Of The Service We Provide

Premier Irrigation
& Landscape
PO Box 1492
Medford, OR 97501

Outdoor Lighting
Water Conserving Irrigation Systems (Smart Clocks, Weather Stations)
Paver Patios, Walkways & Segmented Block Retaining Walls
Synthetic Turf, Including Putting Greens
Ponds & Water Features
Large Scale Site Work & Excavation
Vineyard & Orchard Irrigation Installations
New Construction and/or Newly Installed Landscapes
Custom Irrigation Design, Using The Most Up To Date Technology
Irrigation Installation & Maintenance
General Landscape Installations
Sustainable Landscapes
Water/Rain Harvesting

Thanks For Your Business

E-mail:

I am lucky to have a group of really great clients to work with, and I hope
we continue to serve your needs in the future. I am always open to
suggestions on how we can improve and I value your thoughts and
feedback, which help us improve our business and provide better customer
service.

Web page:

Thanks again for all of the support,

Phone:
(541) 778-2421
paul@premierirrigation.net
www.premierirrigation.net

Paul