Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune Southern Oregon University is holding back on watering grass on campus to conserve water.
University letting some lawns, fields go brown during drought
Facing an unprecedented drought, Southern Oregon University is rethinking its campus irrigation system that uses almost a half-million gallons of water a day during the summer.
The university is letting some lawns and sports fields go brown, while trying to save trees and landscaping.
Daily irrigation water use in the summer is about 425,000 to 450,000 gallons. The campus has about 10,000 sprinkler heads, according to SOU Director of Community and Media Relations Joe Mosley.
SOU draws its irrigation water from the Talent Irrigation District, which relies on reservoirs that are at…