Check out our Water-Smart Irrigation Guide for an overview of how to properly maintain and manage your irrigation system.

Self-Guided DIY Sprinkler System Check-Up:

For those conducting a DIY sprinkler system check-up, the DIY Sprinkler System Check-Up Form must be completed and sent to the City's Water Conservation Division for pre-approval before the applicant begins the proposed project. Information may be verified by Water Conservation Division staff during a site inspection.

System Maintenance:

• Inspect your sprinkler system monthly! Check for leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems that can lead to water waste. Contact your sprinkler system professional if you have questions. You can search QWEL (Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper) certified professionals on the QWEL Pros for Hire webpage. 
• Check your sprinkler heads for obstructions and ensure they are watering the area evenly. Adjust heads to keep water from hitting driveways and sidewalks. Review our Basic Water-Smart Irrigation Guide for more information.

DIY Sprinkler System Check-Up Tips:

When assessing your sprinkler system you may want to start off by asking the following irrigation system questions:

• Are all of the sprinklers popping up to their intended height?
• Are any sprinklers tilted relative to a flat surface? 
• Are any sprinklers throwing toward or away from a steep slope? 
• Are any sprinklers being obstructed by tall grass, plants, trees, fences, etc.? 
• Do any sprinkler heads appear damaged or broken? 
• Are any sprinkler heads misting (high operating water pressure may cause this)?
• Are any sprinkler heads watering rock/much landscape beds (with shrubs or perennials)? 
• Do the sprinklers in each zone have consistent spacing? 
• Does each zone have head-to-head coverage (where each sprinkler is throwing water to the next one)?
• Do all sprinklers have an effective arc (do they rotate too much or too little)? 
• Do all sprinklers have an effective throw distance (is there any over-spray onto pavement)?
• Do the sprinklers in each zone have matched precipitation rates (inches of water applied/hour)?
• What type of micro-climate does each zone have (full sun, part shade, or full shade)?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you may want to contact an irrigation professional to help you resolve water waste caused by an inefficient irrigation system.

Check out our Water-Smart Irrigation Guide for detailed information on completing a system check-up, common irrigation issues and how to fix them, performance testing, recommended watering methods, and how to program a basic controller! 

Watering and system scheduling

• Schedule each zone on your sprinkler system based upon the sprinkler head type, the amount of sun and shade in the zone, and the type of soil and plants.
• The City has a required watering window and watering is prohibited from 10am -8pm. Water your lawn early in the morning. Water evaporates midday, and a wet lawn can cause fungus growth at night.
• Avoid watering during high winds.
• Turn your sprinkler off when it rains or install a rain sensor to do it for you and get a rebate!
• Adjust your controller settings to water less during the spring and fall when temperatures are cooler and your vegetation requires less water. A good rule of thumb for watering turf is to apply 1-1.5 inches per week during peak heat season (July and August). Water less in May and June, and by Labor Day reduce watering to once per week to prepare grass for winter dormancy.
• Experiment with your lawn by using the cycle and soak watering method (e.g. instead of 20 minutes at once, try two cycles of 10 minutes on, 45 minutes off) to allow water to penetrate deeper into the soil - allowing roots to grow deeper and keep your lawn healthy with less water.
• Try taking 2 minutes off the watering times for each zone. If that works and your lawn stays green, take off another 2 minutes.
• Water only when your lawn needs it. Fescue blends should only be watered upon signs of stress (dark blue colors or wilting). The City has a permanent watering schedule that only allows residents to water 3 days per week. Learn more on our Permanent Watering Restrictions webpage.

Tree Watering Needs

• Trees typically need 10 gallons of water for every inch of trunk diameter for the first 3-4 years.
• Water trees 1 time per week when conditions are hot and dry (June – August).
• Call the Water Conservation Division at 406.582.3220 to get your free tree watering bag while supplies last! 

Watering Methods

• Set up a drip irrigation line that spirals around the circumference of the tree's dripline to ensure that you are targeting the roots. 
  • Think of a tree's dripline as an umbrella, where water would roll off an umbrella is where the dripline is located.  
  • Avoid watering at the base of the tree as it can cause rot!
• Trees that were planted within the last year are not yet established.
  • Purchase a slow-release watering bag or get one for free from the Water Conservation Division. These are great for establishing young trees. Simply fill the bag and know that water is being released into the root zone over several hours.
  • Irrigate new trees by using drip irrigation equipment such as bubblers or a root zone watering system. Typical overhead spray irrigation is likely not a sufficient source of water for trees. 
  • Keep the root ball and surrounding area of a new tree evenly moist to encourage healthy root growth. Apply a 2"-3" layer of organic bark mulch around the tree to help hold in moisture.

We've got information on how to design your gardens and lawns to be water smart this growing season!

Plant Lists

Drought Tolerant and Water Smart Plant List

2024 Water Smart Plant Guide

Drought Tolerant Plants: Drought tolerant plants generally don’t need extra watering after the plant is established, unless there is a long dry spell. Plants are considered “established” usually two to three seasons after planting.

Water Smart Plants: Water smart plants can withstand periods without supplemental water but will need deep watering during hot and dry conditions.

What is a Montana Native Drought Tolerant Plant?

Native drought tolerant plants are accustomed to Bozeman’s climate and survive off naturally occurring precipitation. Plants featured in the Water Conservation demo gardens are drought resilient and have the lowest watering requirements. Visit our Demonstration Garden webpage to learn more!

Cutting the Grass

Ready to fire up your lawnmower for the season? Take a second to learn a few tips on how to keep your lawn healthy and looking good!

• Cut grass no more than a third of its height at a time - removing more than that risks sending a plant into shock, inhibiting healthy growth and causing discoloration.
• Leave grass clippings in place. Bonus - once the clippings are dry, you can add them to your compost pile or use them as mulch in garden beds!
• In spring set your mow deck to its lowest setting and raise it one level each week until you can maintain your grass at about 3" - this will allow grass to better retain moisture in the summertime. In the fall do the opposite, lower your mow deck one level until your grass is only 1.5" going into the winter to prevent against winter disease (like snow mold).
• Grass and trees compete for water and soil nutrients. Add a ring of organic mulch, shaped into a saucer about 3” thick, to protect trees from mower damage and encourage healthy growth.

Mitigating Snow Mold

Snow mold is a type of fungus that appears as yellow-green patches a few inches in diameter on the lawn as snow melts in late winter, eventually growing in size and becoming a grey-white or a pinkish-white color. This fungus can cause extensive damage to your lawn and may rot grass crowns if it is a serious infection. Snow mold infects lawns only at colder temperatures (30 - 45 degrees) and when there is continuous snow cover over more than 60 days. Take these steps in fall time to help minimize snow mold affecting your lawn:

• Don't apply a heavy nitrogen fertilizer in the fall.
• Rake fallen leaves from the grass.
• Rake the matted area in early spring to promote drying.
• Lower your grass height to 1.5" going into winter.

Core Aeration and Thatch Control

Thatch is a tightly meshed layer of partly decomposed stems and roots that develop between grass blades and the soil surface. Thatch that is well-managed and is no more than half an inch thick is healthy for your lawn - it promotes the breakdown of nutrients via microbes, moderates temperature, and allows water to reach plant roots with less evaporation. However, there can be too much of a good thing! Thatch that is more than half an inch thick can cause the following:

• Limits rooting into the soil causing water and nutrient deficiencies.
• Creates an environment for harmful insects and pathogens.
• Hydrophobic grass (repels water) when dry.

The only true way to manage thatch that is more than a half inch in depth is to core aerate every year until it is reduced. Core aeration removes cores of sod from the lawn and opens up the lawn for more air and water movement, which creates a better environment for microbes to break down the remaining thatch. Plan to have your lawn core aerated in the spring or fall when your grass is actively growing!

Benefits of Adding Mulch to Your Landscape

• Mulch helps hold in soil moisture in areas of your landscape that may have exposed soil. 
• It helps protect soil from erosion on steep slopes.
• A well-mulched bed keeps weeds at bay.
• Organic mulch (wood chip, straw etc.) provides the soil with free nutrients.
• Mulch insulates and regulates soil temperature while also holding moisture in. Hot summer days won’t scorch your plants, and those trees, shrubs and perennials will stay cozy during cold, fall evenings.  

Steps for Adding Mulch

1. Apply 2 to 4 inches of mulch around trees to reduce moisture loss, encourage tree growth, and reduce competition with weeds.
2. For newly planted trees, do not mulch over the root ball (close to the trunk). The mulch ring should be 2 to 4 feet wide up to the width of the dripline (edge of the branches or leaf canopy).
3. For established trees, mulch should be kept back 6 inches from the trunk.
4. Place 2 inches of mulch around shrubs to reduce moisture loss, encourage tree growth, and reduce competition with weeds.

Know Your Soil!

Soil is the foundation for all plant life, providing plants with water and nutrients needed for growth. Soil is made up of weathered rocks, minerals and organic materials (such as plants). Organic materials provide soil structure by holding the rock and mineral particles together.

Soil Texture

Soil is classified by its texture type. Texture is determined by the relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay in the soil.

Soil texture types:

• Coarse Sand (0.2mm – 2.0mm) & Fine Sand (0.02mm - 0.2mm): Sand is the largest soil particle.  It contains fewer, larger pore spaces between particles which allow water to drain rapidly, without giving plant roots a chance to absorb water and nutrients.
• Silt (0.002mm – 0.02mm): Silt contains medium sized particles and pore spaces which retain water for plants to use, while also allowing for adequate drainage. 
• Clay (<0.002mm): Clay is the smallest soil particle and contains many small pore spaces which limit the amount of water and nutrients available to the plant.  These small pore spaces decrease water infiltration and “hold on” to water and nutrients, making it difficult for plants to absorb them.
• Loam: Combination of sand, silt, and clay.  Ideal texture for optimal water retention, drainage, plant growth and soil health.

Soil particle size comparison

Photo Credit: Respective Soil Size

Finding your soil texture type

Perform a simple jar test to identify your soil’s composition of sand, silt, and clay:

1. Collect a soil sample from your yard. Run the sample through a mesh sieve or colander to remove any debris such as rocks, twigs, roots, etc.
2. Add the collected soil sample to a straight sided mason jar, so that it reaches a height of about 1/3 full.
3. Add water until the level reaches about ¾ full from the top of the jar. Then add 1 tsp. of dish soap.
4. Tighten the jar lid and shake vigorously for at least 3 minutes.
5. Set the jar aside for at least 48 hours. Once the sediment has settled into 3 distinct layers, it’s time to interpret your results

To interpret the results of your jar test:

1. Take a moment to identify the three distinct layers settled below the jar's water column:
   • Bottom layer= sand
   • Middle layer= silt
   • Top layer= clay
2. Use a ruler to measure the height of each individual soil layer. Then, measure the total height of the layers collectively.

3. To calculate the approximate percentage of sand, silt, or clay in your sample, divide the collective height of all three texture layers by the height of an individual texture layer (i.e. clay, sand, silt). See image below for examples on how to interpret your soil sample:
   
   

   Photo Credit: https://StarkBros.com
   
   
4. Once you know your soil type, you can determine which soil amendments are best for your lawn.

NOTE: You can repeat the jar test using a variety of soil samples throughout your landscape. Soil texture varies significantly across the Gallatin Valley, so determining soil texture across multiple locations in your yard can help you apply specific amendments where you need them the most.

Soil amendments are made of organic material and can improve soil texture and structure. In sandy soils, amendments increase lateral movement of water in soil, providing plants with an opportunity to absorb water and nutrients before the water drains below the root zone. In clay soils, amendments increase infiltration and drainage, bringing water and nutrients into the root zone for plant use. 

Compost:

Decomposed organic material can improve the structure of all soil types. Compost also improves nutrient availability and soil aeration (air in the soil available to plants for growth).

Types of compost:

• Humus – Decayed organic matter such as leaves and other plant material
• Composted manure
• Mushroom compost – Mixture of straw, peat moss, and other organic compounds
• Topsoil – Partially decomposed compost
• Sphagnum peat moss and peat moss – Very absorbent, dried moss which allows air and water to infiltrate and remain in the soil.  It also improves water retention by absorbing water and slowly releasing it for plant use, as well as loosens compacted soil.
• Coco coir – Absorbent coconut fiber from coconut husks that allows air and water to infiltrate and remain in the soil.  It improves water retention by absorbing water and slowly releasing it for plant use, as well as loosens compacted soil.
• Perlite – Volcanic glass which increases infiltration rates and soil aeration.

Know your soil and maintain healthy soil to encourage plant growth, conserve water, and reduce runoff - keeping our streams and community clean!

Why Plant Native?

Replacing your thirsty turfgrass with local Montana native plantings is an excellent means to increase biodiversity on your landscape. By taking advantage of our Turf Removal and Drought Tolerant Plant Rebate Programs, you can be a part of this important movement to increase biodiversity in your own backyard. 

Why Biodiversity Matters

You might be familiar E.O. Wilson's famous quote, describing insects as "the little things that run the world." Widespread adoption of turfgrass landscapes across the country has lead to stunning population losses among these little things that serve as the ecological keystones to healthy native ecosystems. By replacing native plants with Kentucky bluegrass on our landscapes, we remove the vital habitat native insects require to thrive. And when we remove insect habitat from the equation, we, by extension, remove the native habitat that birds and other wildlife need to thrive on our landscapes.

Perhaps no one can explain this better than New York Times Best Selling Author, Dr. Douglas Tallamy who recently visited Bozeman to discuss why YOU (yes you!!) are Nature's Best Hope in the battle to restore native biodiversity to our planet. Tune in below to watch Dr. Tallamy's live discussion on the importance of planting native in your own backyard.

Ready to get on the map? Register your landscape on Homegrown National Park to see how much native habitat our community is collectively restoring. 

Available Resources

• Check out our list of qualifying drought tolerant plants that can earn you a rebate. All native plants are denoted by an asterisk. 
• Visit the City's Drought Tolerant Demonstration Garden at the Museum of the Rockies. The left-facing garden bed running along the building is comprised entirely of local Montana native plantings. Visit our Drought Tolerant Demonstration Gardens webpage to learn more about all of the City's Gardens and how they can inspire your next landscaping project.
• Bozeman's local chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society has published a guide to Landscaping With Native Plants of South Central Montana that covers everything from design basics to useful plant species lists. For all you native bunchgrass lovers out there, be sure to also check out their new Native Bunchgrasses in Landscaping publication.
• Check out the Bird-friendly landscape design templates created by Bozeman's local chapter of the Audubon Society. Most of the plant species listed are both native and eligible for a rebate through the City of Bozeman's Drought Tolerant Rebate Program.
• Flip through MNPS's Native Plant Source Guide for updated information on where you can purchase locally available native plants.

Kentucky Bluegrass in a Semi-Arid Climate

Most Bozeman lawns predominately feature a single grass species commonly referred to as Kentucky bluegrass or Poa pratensis. This cool season plant is known for its dense, lush, and high-traffic durability features that we often desire on our local sports fields, community parks, and residential landscapes. Native to most of Europe and Northern Asia, Kentucky bluegrass thrives in cool, wet conditions and therefore struggles to adapt to Bozeman’s semi-arid and drought-prone climate. As a result, frequent and substantial irrigation events are required to maintain the lush appearance of our local Kentucky bluegrass lawns.

In 2015, MSU and the City of Bozeman teamed up in search of a climate-adapted turfgrass alternative that could still produce the same lush and durable lawns we love, while requiring far less supplemental irrigation. Given that over 50% of Bozeman’s water heads straight onto our landscapes, developing drought tolerant turfgrass alternatives could help extend our local water supply substantially!

Putting Turfgrass to the Test

Featured along the North and South 27th Ave medians, you might have observed our turf grass alternative trials in action while driving around town.

In 2015, a variety of climate-adapted Fescue species and Kentucky Bluegrass were seeded along these medians and analyzed based on weed susceptibility, grass density, soil moisture, soil chemistry, and supplemental watering requirements over a study period of two years.

Treatments, species and cultivars utilized in this study include:

• Bare ground
• Shredded Cedar bark mulch
• Festuca ovina glauca 'Blue Heron' – blue sheep fescue
• Festuca trachyphylla 'Blueray' – hard fescue
• Festuca trachyphylla 'Sword' – hard fescue
• Festuca rubra 'Boreal' – red fescue
• Festuca rubra 'Marvel' – red fescue
• Festuca ovina 'Covar' – sheep fescue
• Poa pratensis ‘SPF-30’ - Kentucky bluegrass
• A seed mix including Blue Sword, Heron, and Boreal Fescue.

Fescue to the Rescue!

Data shows that while individual Fescue species require less supplemental watering (once established) compared to Kentucky Bluegrass, no single species or cultivar performed better than another. However, when blending individual species together, we found that each included species’ and cultivar’s best qualities coalesced to form a mix that more successfully suppressed weed growth and rapidly increased ground coverage, compared to any one individual. That is to say, when installing turfgrass alternatives on our local landscapes, it is recommended that a Fescue seed blend be utilized to maximize performance and water efficiency.

Alternative Grasses in Action

Did you know that our drought tolerant seed mix has already been installed around town? In 2021, the medians along N 27th Avenue between Oak St. and Baxter Lane were installed with a fescue blend seed mix based upon the results of this study. The same seed mix comprises 83% of the total grass area at Bozeman’s new Public Safety Center. Not only is this climate-adapted grass mix saving water for our community, but it’s also reducing maintenance costs by significantly reducing the need for mowing.

The City of Bozeman aims to exemplify our commitment to water conservation by implementing water-smart landscapes all around town. By utilizing the results from our North and South 27th Ave median experiment in future City projects, installing climate-adapted lawns is just one way we’re inspiring the community to move towards a water-smart future!