OKC seeks entries for water smart landscape awards

The Oklahoma City Utilities Department wants to see water smart landscapes for its 2017 H2Outstanding Landscape Award. The award recognizes residents who are reducing outdoor water use by implementing the seven low-water principles for landscapes.

Three winners will receive $200, $150 and $100 gift cards to a local plant nursery. The deadline for entry is Aug. 25.

The competition is open to anyone who receives a residential city of Oklahoma City water bill, including residents of Warr Acres and The Village. Entries are for established front yard residential landscapes irrigated with city water. Residents may nominate themselves or a friend or family member.

To enter, go to SqueezeEveryDrop.com and fill out a nomination form. Entries must include three photos of the landscape as part of the award submission. Judges will appoint scores for each landscape based upon their use of the lowwater principles. Results will be final, and images entered may be used for future marketing activities.

“Water conservation is something we can all integrate into our daily lives, whether it’s indoors or out,” said city water conservation specialist Malarie Gotcher. “The contest is a way for us to reward those residents who are taking steps to reduce their water use in attractive and innovative ways.”

The seven low-water landscape principles include using droughttolerant grasses and plants, adding mulch to retail soil moisture and control weeds, using efficient irrigation, improving soil quality to retain moisture and extend plant life and integrating other dry landscape or xeriscape techniques.