If and when water restrictions occur follow directions from the city up to and including no water for the remainder of the summer. When fall comes irrigate and fertilize to encourage recovery. Prioritize the lawn areas. Water small and important areas as needed to provide acceptable turf. Apply minimal water to less important lawn areas and none at all to peripheral areas.
Vegetable gardens use significant amounts of water, too.
To save significant amounts of water, homeowners should avoid watering these as well as their lawns. Most lawns will survive, but turn brown in a dry year without being watered. If people can't irrigate, they will have brown lawns. When fall returns lawns can be reseeded and will recover just fine over the winter. Applying fertilizer in the spring will stimulate strong root growth as well as strong shoot growth, said Cook.