It is difficult to watch, day-after-day, the light brown lawns, when snow should be covering everything in sight. In my younger days, it seemed like we had snow on the ground from October until March. We have not seen that in years. It does not help that Utah is the second most arid state in the nation, second only to Nevada. Utah, on average, only gets 13 inches of rain a year, which is why you have seen TV spots asking each of us to “Slow the Flow – Save H2O”. There will be plenty of time between now and spring, when you will hear more about conserving water and setting lawn-watering cycles based on the warmth of the day. My message to you is simple: we need to plan today for what comes tomorrow.

It would be hard for local governments to ask residents to conserve water usage if they are unwilling to take the lead. There is no question Roy City has a requirement that utilizes a significant amount of water with all our parks and outdoor green spaces. Each of them provides an important quality of life element to our community. But, let’s face it, we could do more to conserve water. Not all the surfaces need to be green lawn to play on, some could be great candidates for xeriscape. Xeriscape is a landscape design that uses low water use or drought-tolerant plants. I am not talking about “zeroscape” that is predominantly dirt and gravel. I am referring to water-wise plants that can provide the desirable look, and at the same time, reduce water consumption.

During our upcoming Roy City budget planning meetings, I will be suggesting to the Roy leadership the need to start planning our future water conservation plan. There will come a day when all of us will need to find ways to conserve our water resources. I believe Roy City needs to set the example and show the way to make it happen.

Be safe and keep your family safe!

Robert Dandoy, Mayor