Boise State Campus Water Atlas

Imagine spring at Boise State: green lawns and colorful flowers line the walkways as the weather starts to warm, but how is the campus kept so vibrant and green while located in a desert?

Two main sources: The Boise River through a canal system and purchased domestic water.

Boise State belongs to the South Boise Water Company which provides water to the university and many others through an extensive canal system. Water is stored in Lucky Peak Reservoir and released into the canals when needed. From the canal located south of campus by Federal Way, water is diverted to a pump station North of the Student Union Building. This water is used for irrigation use.

All landscaped areas north of University Avenue (above the red line) are irrigated by the pump system that recieves canal water. Any areas south of that line are irrigated by backflows and domestic water. The pump station recieves water from pipes that run under the Student Union Building and then sends the water through a system of pipes to irrigate the landscapes through both sprinkler and drip systems.

To recieve water from Lucky Peak, one must have the appropriate water rights. Idaho uses the prior appropriation doctrine. Part of this means that the original rights for water can stay with a specific piece of land for an extended amount of time. Boise State University acquired the water rights they have now from the owners who used the original plot of land as agricultural fields prior to the University's start.

Boise State currently uses much of it's allocated water for landscaping purposes. Although, there is also little information publicized on municipal water use. Municipal water use would include all water used within buildings and operations, such as toilets, sink, dining services, and the rec center's pool.

Within campus there are two main strategies used to water vegetation. Grassy areas are watered through sprinkler systems because they need so much water and most shrub beds are on drip systems, providing water more precisely. While the irrigation systems are still being upgraded, there is no central control for the system. This central control system would allow the landscape manager to manage the system for optimum flow from the pump station.

It takes millions of gallons of water to irrigate campus and keep it green all year round. The irrigation season lasts from April 15 through October 15.

A single flow meter south of University drive took 760,000 gallons of water for the area's specific landscape and space. Multiply that by 11 blocks of similar area and vegetation and you can see that over 8 million gallons of water are being used for just part of campus.

In the summer, when the temperatures are higher and the campus is kept green for school tours and visitors, the main campus uses 600-700 thousand gallons of water per night. That adds up to 18-21 million gallons used in a single month of summer.

In the Honors College Dorms, there is a grey water system that recycles water from showers and sinks to use as landscaping water. The water is collected from the building and stored in a tank where it is filtered and the pH is kept stable before being used to irrigate beds surrounding the residence hall.

Certin areas of campus have special flow meters that control the amount of water being put out based on soil moisture levels. This helps the landscape manager to make sure no more water than what is needed is being put out.

Different vegetation also allows for less water use. Grass lawns need about 1-1.5 inches of water per week, significantly more than other types of landscaping. For example, the landscaping around the Micron Center for Materials Research includes a different mixture of greenery. The mixture of clover and other grasses allows for less watering, less fertilizing, and less mowing.

The two main barriers to improved water use practices: funding and mindsets. The landscaping department of Boise State is working with a fixed budget given to them by the state. And, most of the pushback they get is from people who want campus to look a certain way.

Many of the grassy areas on campus are small and not used by students. Driving down University Drive, you can see the small patches of grass that lie beneath trees or along sidewalks. These spaces are not used for a specific purpose like the recreation field is and are hard to mow. They could easily be converted to the same eco-turf mix that is present near the Materials Research building to save water, fertilizer, and mowing time.

The largest barrier of changing the image on the left to the image on the right is aesthetic purposes. Although the righthand image reduces water use, many people like the traditional look of grass along pathways. A shift in mindset from Boise State students and staff could make a big impact in the amount of water being used on grass filled spaces that are not used for recreational purposes.

When new buildings are built on campus, it would be beneficial to include a grey water system in the building plans. It is hard to put systems into already exhisting buildings, but new biuldings could easily include it in their budget and construction.

Most of the water that falls as rain gets drained back into the Boise River through a large drainage pipe located alongside the greenbelt. By collecting and storing rainwater that collect on roofs and streets, we could be saving harmful toxins from being distributed in the river. The water could be cooled, filtered and then stored for irrigation purposes at a further time.

As droughts continue to be a looming problem, we as students and staff might have to face the harsh reality of not having green grass on campus during the summer months. As much as it is enjoyable, why are we using so much water to keep our lawns green, when the grassy foothills that surround us are still brown.

Thank you to Gabe Bishop, the Landscape Manager of Boise State, for providing the majority of information and data above.