Dealing with Drought: Making Tough (and Smart) Choices
Track: Maintenance

Thursday, May 5, 2016 | 1:15 to 2:30pm

Speaker:
Karen Galt, Landscape Architect, Seattle Parks and Recreation
Joelle Hammerstad, Sustainable Operations Manager, Seattle Parks and Recreation

Session Description:

In September 2015, almost 65% of the state was classified on the U.S. Drought Monitor as extreme, with an estimated 6.6 million peopled affected in Washington State. And our state’s historic drought isn’t over yet. It is expected to stretch into a second year. Is your agency prepared to meet the challenges produced by this double dose of drought? As one of the largest single consumers of water in the City of Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation has had to respond quickly and decisively to maintain our living assets while ensuring that we don’t bust our budgets on our water bill. Landscape Architect and water conservation specialist Karen Galt will share what Seattle Parks and Recreation did in 2015 to handle a record dry spell, and how they're planning to deal with a similar situation in 2016.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain a better understanding of the tools needed to predict water use in your area.
• Participants will prepare discussion points to develop a relationship with the local water utility.
• Participants will be able to design a water shortage advisory plan for their agency.