The Weather is Beautiful, but There’s No Need to Start Watering Just Yet!
- March 17, 2026 | Category: Water Efficiency
Spring begins in just a few days, but your lawn isn’t ready for regular watering just yet! The cooler evening temperatures in Southern Oregon and retained soil moisture are still doing the work for you, not to mention that rain is in the forecast over the next 10 days, so hold off on turning on those sprinklers and save water while you can. If anything, you can spot water for now until regular watering is necessary.
It IS, however, the perfect time to check your sprinkler system for needed repairs or adjustments BEFORE the watering season, to look for damage and reduce water waste. Go to medfordwater.org/springstartup for a handy brochure with easy-to-follow tips, or read on below.
Spruce up your sprinkler system in four easy steps:
• INSPECT sprinkler heads. A broken one can waste 25,000 gallons of water in six months and damage your plants by spraying water where it isn’t needed. One way to find broken heads and leaks is to turn on each irrigation zone separately, then look for heads that do not pop up fully, are tilted, or are missing entirely. Make sure sprinklers aren’t blocked by rocks, debris, or foliage. When the sprinkler is running, check for misting or overspray.
• CONNECT sprinklers, hoses, and pipes well. A leak as small as the tip of a pen can waste 6,300 gallons of water per month! Leaks can also occur at the joints between sprinklers and the piping. Because many irrigation pipes are underground, it may be difficult to identify loose pipe connections; look for areas of the landscape with water pooling on the surface, which could indicate an underground leak. Check the valve boxes that house controls and other components underground to make sure that valves are securely connected and can close completely, so they do not slowly seep water even when they are turned off.
• DIRECT spray for the best coverage. Do your sprinklers spray your driveway, house, or sidewalk? Direct them towards the landscape to avoid sending runoff— and possible pollution—down the storm drain. You (or a professional) should be able to adjust each sprinkler nozzle so the spray is as wide or as narrow as necessary. For best results, the water from one sprinkler head should just reach the sprinkler head next to it, known as head-to-head coverage. Keep sprinkler heads vertical and avoid tilting for best lawn coverage. For watering flower gardens, shrubs, and trees, consider using microirrigation (also referred to as drip irrigation) or microsprays. With microirrigation, water can be directed to the root zone, where plants need it most.
• SELECT a WaterSense-labeled irrigation controller so you can water smarter, and don’t forget about our controller rebate! Irrigation controllers, normally located inside the garage or on an outside wall, automatically activate your system. They can be clock-timed controllers, or smart controllers that schedule irrigation based on the weather or moisture in the soil. WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controllers do the thinking for you in terms of when and how much to water, based on local weather and landscape conditions. When installed and programmed properly, WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers can save an average home nearly 7,600 gallons of water annually over a clock-timed controller. If you’re not ready to replace your clock-timed irrigation controller, update its schedule frequently with the weather…you don’t need to water when it’s raining! When the watering season does begin, if you notice that runoff occurs when you water, consider breaking up the irrigation into smaller intervals with breaks in between to allow the water to seep into the soil.
For help, call our Water Efficiency Team at 541-774-2438. When the watering season does start, be sure to take advantage of our weekly watering recommendations that we post on our website.