Water cuts mean job cuts

‘Green industry’ seeing red over water restrictions

FORT COLLINS — Water restrictions are making sod growers see red instead of green.

This summer, Turf Master Sod Farms of Fort Collins has laid off half of its employees and is struggling to dissuade area cities from turning off the water.

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“Business is down, no doubt about it,´ said Brian Ridnour, general manager of Turf Master Farms. “This summer has been devastating.”

Ridnour is also the president of the Rocky Mountain Sod Growers Association. He is spearheading an effort to educate cities about the benefits of properly watering lawns.

“What Denver water has done is wrong,” Ridnour said. “They have turned sod growers into the sacrificial lamb during the drought. Our water specialists show that turf requires three-tenths of 1 percent of water to survive. This is such a small amount of water.”

According to Ridnour, cities have to decide if they want to save water or save jobs.

“There are 40,000 to 50,000 people employed in the green industry,´ said Ridnour. “The effects of water restrictions trickle down to fertilizer, seed and on and on.”

The Denver Water Board has instituted new water restrictions effective Sept. 1. The new restrictions are creating havoc among sod growers because after Oct. 1, watering turf and lawns will be prohibited.

Another message of the green industry is that other forms of landscaping have not been affected by the water restrictions.

“A lot of people think the water restrictions are for everything,´ said Sally Nelson, owner of Windswept Farms in Fort Collins.

Nelson joined other nursery operators by running a joint informational advertisement about the water restrictions in the Fort Collins Coloradoan last month. The advertisement discussed the restrictions and said they do not apply to irrigation or watering of flowers, trees, shrubs or vegetable gardens.

“In general, people are afraid to do much new planting,” Nelson said. “They need to understand some plants don’t need as much water as others.”

The decline in sales of landscaping material is being felt all over the region.

Phil Phelan, manager of Bath Nursery and Garden Center in Fort Collins, said he has also noticed the decrease in sales.

“The drought kinda stinks,” Phelan said. “Business is down 15 to 20 percent (from last year). Part of the problem is the heat. This summer has not been good planting weather.”

Phelan is hoping customers will continue to plant in the cooler fall days.

“Fall is a great time to plant trees because they experience very little transplant shock,” Phelan said. “It is also a good time to put in sod and other plants. People are wanting to finish landscaping their yards.

“Hopefully, this is a short-term dip and that in the long run our business will recover.”