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When you have to wash the crew truck but we’re in a drought…
Water smart, water efficiently, and plant trees!
By Chris Leinster - April 11, 2026
When you have to wash the crew truck, but we’re in a drought? They say go to the carwash, they purify and recycle the water, and they use less water than you and your garden hose. Maybe, but the Ram 2500 turbo diesel Mega-Cab is too big for most auto-washes, and usually the bed is loaded with compost, mulch, fertilizer, tools, and other tactical tree planting accoutrements. I’m in the habit of washing the truck myself, and typically wash it in the driveway
As every skier knows, Colorado is experiencing drought conditions. Low snowpack means less water in reservoirs to supply the Front Range over the high demand summer months. These conditions are cyclical, and the State of Colorado is well prepared to provide and deliver water to every customer along the Front Range.
Still, everybody should be aware that we live in the High Chaparral, a near-desert climate with unique native plant life. Many of the trees you loved from New York, California, Washington, Oregon, and my home state of Virginia, will grow here and have been thriving for over a century. Be advised…without human assistance most of these trees would likely die.
For the most part, “water restrictions” mostly means enforcement of water conservation rules that are and have always been in effect. Check out my previous blog to learn more. Naturally, the utility company and city councils are using the current Quasi-crisis to suck up more taxpayer dollars from high water consumers.
The last thing I want to do is stir up a political debate. The blessing of the current drought is that it should make us all more conscientious of the fact that we should treat our water resources as sacred, and consume it as efficiently and as worthy as it is and ought to be.
So, I washed the truck in the yard! Goofy as it may sound, I think I did the right thing. I didn’t want to watch runoff water pour down my driveway into the gutter. So I parked my truck on the lawn and washed it in the yard! The rinse water fed the grass and trees, and the soap is actually beneficial too! Soap acts as a surfactant, and helps water slip through the soil to reach your trees! None of the water washed over the sidewalk. It was all soaked up by the earth beneath my feet.
I’ve decided to experiment this season with sacrificing my bluegrass lawn and watering only enough to keep it alive. Bluegrass is sensational as it has the ability to go dormant and die back during drought conditions and revive when conditions permit. I’m thinking just once per month, just enough to keep the crown of the plant alive.
My drip lines are different though. I intend to run them efficiently throughout the summer three times per week for fifteen minutes. Drip irrigation is efficient, delivering water only as necessary to help plants thrive. There are no current restrictions on new tree planting or drip irrigation or hand watering, nor are any under consideration. Trees offer many benefits that might help temper wild fluctuations in climate over the years. Again, my previous blog explores more…
I kinda enjoyed washing my truck in the yard. It made me cognizant of water efficiency and felt good to use the water I consumed to serve two purposes. I think this is a practice I will continue, even in water abundant years.
As every skier knows, Colorado is experiencing drought conditions. Low snowpack means less water in reservoirs to supply the Front Range over the high demand summer months. These conditions are cyclical, and the State of Colorado is well prepared to provide and deliver water to every customer along the Front Range.
Still, everybody should be aware that we live in the High Chaparral, a near-desert climate with unique native plant life. Many of the trees you loved from New York, California, Washington, Oregon, and my home state of Virginia, will grow here and have been thriving for over a century. Be advised…without human assistance most of these trees would likely die.
For the most part, “water restrictions” mostly means enforcement of water conservation rules that are and have always been in effect. Check out my previous blog to learn more. Naturally, the utility company and city councils are using the current Quasi-crisis to suck up more taxpayer dollars from high water consumers.
The last thing I want to do is stir up a political debate. The blessing of the current drought is that it should make us all more conscientious of the fact that we should treat our water resources as sacred, and consume it as efficiently and as worthy as it is and ought to be.
So, I washed the truck in the yard! Goofy as it may sound, I think I did the right thing. I didn’t want to watch runoff water pour down my driveway into the gutter. So I parked my truck on the lawn and washed it in the yard! The rinse water fed the grass and trees, and the soap is actually beneficial too! Soap acts as a surfactant, and helps water slip through the soil to reach your trees! None of the water washed over the sidewalk. It was all soaked up by the earth beneath my feet.
I’ve decided to experiment this season with sacrificing my bluegrass lawn and watering only enough to keep it alive. Bluegrass is sensational as it has the ability to go dormant and die back during drought conditions and revive when conditions permit. I’m thinking just once per month, just enough to keep the crown of the plant alive.
My drip lines are different though. I intend to run them efficiently throughout the summer three times per week for fifteen minutes. Drip irrigation is efficient, delivering water only as necessary to help plants thrive. There are no current restrictions on new tree planting or drip irrigation or hand watering, nor are any under consideration. Trees offer many benefits that might help temper wild fluctuations in climate over the years. Again, my previous blog explores more…
I kinda enjoyed washing my truck in the yard. It made me cognizant of water efficiency and felt good to use the water I consumed to serve two purposes. I think this is a practice I will continue, even in water abundant years.