Learning   Portfolio

            Water is a highly important resource as it provide people with means to almost everything they use in their daily lives. Manatee County describes water as “a basic and essential need of every living creature.” (Manatee) Manatee County has made a tremendous effort to conserve its water and educating the public on how they can help. “Manatee County calls upon businesses, schools, industries, citizens and visitors to help protect our precious resource by practicing water saving measures and becoming more aware of the need to save water.” (Manatee) The county has made strides in reclaiming water, regulating irrigation methods, and educating the public about water conservation.

            Irrigation is one way that a lot of water can be wasted due to the amount of water plants need to survive. Manatee County has found that the best water irrigation method is drip irrigation. “Drip is the preferred method of irrigation because it uses the least amount of water and it targets the root of the plant.” (Manatee) The drip irrigation method is considered most efficient by Manatee County due to its use of little water and direct application to the roots. Drip Irrigation is also popular in many other areas, such as California. “Over the years as drip irrigation materials, installation equipment, and irrigation scheduling tools have evolved, [drip irrigation] has gained wider acceptance and is now being used in perennial crops as well on a limited basis.” (Ayars) Drip irrigation uses small pipes along the plants’ roots to drip water straight at the plant’s base. This is just one of the many ways Manatee County is making an effort to improve water conservation.