By Richard Martinson, Ph.D., August, 2024

Published in Cascade Business News August 21, 2024

Our climate is changing, becoming hotter and drier and increasing drought stress on our urban landscapes.  Maintaining the health and vigor of urban plantings becomes increasingly difficult without increasing irrigation and using more water than may be available in our region, especially when the state is reassessing the allocation of water rights and recommending (not yet a requirement) a statewide reduction in water use…

Martinson, Richard. 2020. Native plants in urban landscapes: a biological imperative. Native Plants Journal. Sep 2020, 21 (3) 275-280; DOI: 10.3368/npj.21.3.275

Link to published article (requires subscription)

By Richard Martinson and John Lambrinos, November 2018

The distribution and allocation of water as a limited resource is becoming increasingly important as long-term drought conditions continue to affect the availability of water. Municipalities are responding these challenges by looking at options to reduce urban water consumption. Landscape irrigation is often a target of conservation efforts, but few case studies exist documenting the real potential of water savings using design considerations and technological advances in the irrigation industry.

By Rick Martinson, Ph.D., Feb 2017

We desperately need a wholesale shift in how we perceive, design, and install landscapes. Our industry has the opportunity to help create long-term solutions to effects of climate change and the expected shifts in timing, intensity, and duration of precipitation events. Water availability, use, and waste within the city has become a main focus of the Department of Public Works, and substantial effort is being made by the city and irrigation contractors to increase the efficient application of water through ensuring systems are designed and maintained correctly.  However, water use will continue to be a contentious subject throughout the semi-arid west.  Meeting future water restrictions will require creativity in how we design and construct landscapes in urban settings.  One way to do that is through design and construction of projects based on the ecology of specific site locations.