Global warming — We can debate whetherit’s natural or manmade, but it’s definitelygetting warmer. We loved those 80 degreedays in March. But as North Texas summerapproaches, the temperature will likely soarto triple digits in July. Combine that with anincreased demand for water and a lack ofsignificant rainfall, and you have the makingsof what is now the region’s worst droughtin 50 years.

Unlike tornadoes or hurricanes, a droughtcreeps up gradually, without advance warning.Last summer homeowners and HOAs inNorth Texas felt its substantial impact in theform of increased water rate bills, fines forviolations of municipal watering restrictionsand homeowner concerns about maintainingpools, plants and other water-starved commonarea amenities.

Coping with Water RestrictionsHardest hit by the long-term water emer-

gency have been more than 60 municipalitiesserved by the North Texas Municipal WaterDistrict (NTMWD), which have been requiredto observe mandatory outdoor water restric-tions (Stage 3*) since June, 2006. These applyto everything from watering landscapes and

It’s a Dry Heat! Drought and Your HOA

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CMA’S LEADERSHIP ADVISOR

SPRING 2007 VOLUME 3 / ISSUE NO. 1 A periodic publication of RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc.

IN THIS ISSUE

What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Letter from the Publisher

It’s a Dry Heat! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Drought and Your HOA

HOAs Adapt with Xeriscaping, Water Wells . .1

Tap a “Seedbed “of Landscape Know-How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Water Smart Grounds Maintenance . . . . . . . .310 Tips to Keep Your Grounds from Soaking You

Pest Patrol: Trounce Ant Bullies . . . . . . . . . . .5

Texas Two-Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Attack Ants on the Home Front

Leadership Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Water. The Fate of our Most Precious Resource.

(Please see “Adapt” – page 4)

HOAs Adapt with Xeriscaping, Water WellsIn a growing trend, developers are usingenvironment-friendly planning and design toinstall lush, low-maintenance landscapes thatrequire less water to thrive. These xeriscapes(from the Greek xeros, meaning dry) arecharacterized by features such as wildflowersand native grasses as a substitute for lawns,especially in large open spaces and low useareas. Traditional turf lawns are confined tohigh traffic areas. A variety of plants withdifferent heights, colors and textures createsinterest and beauty.

David Baldwin, a landscape architect inthe Dallas area for nearly thirty years, says,

TRENDS

(Please see “Dry Heat” – page 2)

What’s New?Judi M. Phares, President and CEO, RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc.

Dear Leaders: This edition of the Leadership Advisor focuses on our growing waterconcerns in the North Texas region and its impact upon yourassociation. Despite some welcome spring rain, meteorologists say itwill take many significant, sustained rainfalls to end the seriousNorth Texas drought. HOA landscapes and water features will continueto suffer the summer heat and lack of rainfall.

How can your Board respond to this water emergency? By makingdecisions which minimize the impact on your community and its

budget, you can help your community weather the crisis, as well as conserve a precious resource.Read on to “soak up” some timely information about the impact of water restrictions on

associations, innovative water saving tips, alternative landscaping practices, and strategies tocontrol an encroaching grounds scourge, fire ants.

Sincerely,

Judi M. Phares, CMCA®, PCAM®

Publisher

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filling swimming pools to washing vehiclesand hosing driveways and sidewalks.

In Tarrant County and areas which haveimposed no mandatory watering bans thusfar, HOAs may face a similar dilemma. As thelush, emerald green lawns and abundantsummer annuals that homeowners desire andexpect wither in the sweltering Texas sum-mer, increased landscape watering may causeyour HOA’s water bills to skyrocket. Of equalconcern, cutting back to voluntarily conserveor comply with mandatory water rationingwill cause drought-stricken grounds to suffer.Rapidly-receding fountains, ponds, andswimming pools may resist your efforts tomaintain their summertime aquatic appeal.

*Stage 3 Restrictions. Many counties in ourarea remain in Stage 3 of their droughtconservation plans (Collin, Denton, Dallas,Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall) At thiswriting, mandatory restrictions have not beenimposed for Tarrant county.

*Individual cities may also implementtheir own mandatory water restrictions, soit’s important for homeowners to knowtheir local requirements).

Be a Water-wise HOAEven while many communities have restrictedtheir water consumption for non-essentialuses, water consumption has increased 29%

this year compared with the same period lastyear, according to NTMWD. Some cities, suchas Rowlett and McKinney, have implementedtier water rates (higher rates for higherconsumption) to encourage conservation.The drought and increased demand due topopulation growth have prompted theNTMWD to launch a campaign to encourageconsumers to reduce water consumption by5%. Practice these water-saving strategies toreduce water use. Plug the leaks. Small leaks have extremeconsequences. A dripping faucet, for example,can waste nearly 20 gallons of water a day, or7,000 gallons a year. One broken sprinklerhead can use up to 225 gallons per 15 minutecycle and cause other sprinkler heads on thesame system to malfunction. Work closely withyour HOA’s manager to repair these commonarea water-wasters. If you do not have an onsiteCMA manager, especially be vigilant to reportmalfunctioning timers and broken sprinklerheads on automatic sprinkler systems. Prime the pool. If your HOA operates apool, have your pool serviced regularly tocatch leaks and have them promptlyrepaired. If the water level varies drasticallyfrom day to day, this may indicate a leak.Your pool professional can alert your manag-er of problems such as a faulty pool valve.Be aware that in some communities, swim-ming pools may not be drained and refilledthis summer except to replace normal waterloss.Observe mandatory outdoor water

restrictions. Be familiar with the restrictionsand enforcement which apply to your com-munity. Penalties vary from city to city andfrom water supply to water supply. For exam-ple, Frisco is shutting off violators' sprinklersystems, while Rockwall will shut off repeatviolators' water and charge steep fees to getit reconnected. Fines range from about $100

to up to $2,000, depending on the city. Communicate with homeowners. YourBoard may wish to appoint an ad hoccommittee to research your HOA’s waterconsumption, set a goal for reduction andcommunicate to the Board and homeownersabout what your association is doing to usewater more efficiently and wisely. You’ll behelping your neighbors and helping Texaswater supplies last.

Dry Heat (continued from page 1)

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FREE RESOURCE

Where can your HOA find practical ideas toconserve and beautify? What if you had accessto a gardening expert to help you enhancethe beauty of the community and conserveprecious resources, including financial ones?Your Landscape Committee should considerconsulting a valuable local resource that isoften overlooked. The Texas A&M ExtensionService for your county offers informationabout Certified Master Gardeners in your areawho can offer assistance.

Certified Master Gardeners (CMG) arevolunteers who complete a specified numberof hours of education and gardening projectsunder the direction of their county Texas A&M

Cooperative Extension Service. Once certified,they serve their communities by identifyingand participating in gardening projects whichbeautify and educate the community. Theyknow and apply landscaping practices which

are well-suited to this geography and employenvironmentally-friendly methods to conserveprecious resources. Best of all, these servicesare free of charge to organizations such asschools, libraries, historic homes and non-profits groups in the counties they serve.

Melanie Souder, resident of BridlewoodHOA and CMA administrative assistant onsiteat Bridlewood, received her Master Gardeningcertification in 2006. Melanie has a personalpassion for gardening and pursues projects toapply her knowledge along with fellow CMGsin Denton county.

“The Master Gardeners and the MasterNaturalists are such a valuable resource andsource of education,” says Melanie. “Sharingmy knowledge with others who want to createbeautiful, functional landscapes that conservenatural resources and reduce the release ofchemicals into our environment is one way I

am involved. If CMA’s clients can use thisresource to find cost- saving landscapingsolutions, then it’s a win/win.”

Your HOA’s Landscape Committee canfind information about your county’s cooper-ative extension and master gardeners in yourarea by visiting http://county-tx.tamu.edu/.

1. Mulch plant roots. It improves soil, reduces

moisture loss and keeps roots cool during

summer months. Experts recommend that

you use 4 – 6 inches of mulch during a

drought. Unmulched soil may lose twice

as much water to evaporation as

mulched soil.

2. Mow better and less frequently. Raise your

lawnmower blade and cut grass to a

height of 3 inches—this shades the soil,

which reduces evaporation, and allows

roots to grow deeper.

3. Properly fertilize non-native plants. Apply

the right amount and at the right time

(once in the fall and once in the spring)

to reduce mowing and watering.

Excessive fertilization is also a major

source of pollution of streams and

groundwater.

4. Irrigate efficiently. Apply only enough

water to moisten the root zone of your

plants (4 to 6 inches deep). Experts

recommend watering your lawn deeply

and infrequently to promote a strong root

system. Some areas require as little as

1 inch every seven days.

5. Use soaker hoses instead of sprinklers.

Drip irrigation waters trees, shrubs and

beds more efficiently by applying water

directly to the root, and reduces water

loss from evaporation. Where practical,

limit the use of a sprinkler system to

water large areas of turf.

6. Control your controller. Manually operate

sprinkler systems instead of using a timer

to avoid over-watering. Install automatic

sensors to save on outdoor watering by

automatically turning off your system when

it rains or is below freezing.

7. Check irrigation systems. Replace clogged

drip emitters and repair leaks. Check

sprinkler systems for directional aim and

broken heads to prevent watering drive-

ways, sidewalks and streets. You may

want to have an irrigation professional

do an irrigation audit of your systems.

8. Grow native. Select more drought-tolerant

native plants, grouping plants together

that have similar watering requirements.

If plants have died or are not performing

well, plant new ones – preferably low

water-use varieties – before the summer

heat sets in.

9. Remove weeds. They compete with plants

for water.

10. Prune sparingly. Branches keep plants

shaded and cooler in summer.

WATER-SMART GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

10 Tips to Keep Your Grounds from Soaking You

Summer's lengthy hot, dry conditions can test the endurance of many plants … and boards. Mulching, mowing and fertilizing greatly impact

the water efficiency of any landscape, as well as its ability to survive a drought. On behalf of your association, your CMA manager can help

you implement these water-smart maintenance tips with your landscape professionals.

Tap a Seedbed of Landscape Know-How

Melanie Souder, resident of Bridlewood HOA and CMAadministrative assistant onsite at Bridlewood

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“Native plants grow naturally in our area. Theyare inherently drought-tolerant because theyhave adapted to survive without supplementalwatering. Non-native species of plants canalso be drought-tolerant, as well as “adapted”to survive our extreme temperature fluctua-tions from summer through winter.”

His firm, David C. Baldwin, Inc.,www.davidcbaldwin.net, uses a combinationof native and adapted species to create land-scapes that are visually appealing throughoutthe year. His plant material palette typicallyuses large masses of ornamental grasses, whichgo dormant in the winter, in combinationwith evergreen shrubs and groundcovers asa framework or backdrop.

Baldwin has been the landscape architectfor Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney, Texas,and has designed most of the neighborhoodentries, streetscapes, common areas, parksand playgrounds for the past twelve years.The community adapted its landscape designprior to the current drought restrictions as ameans to create a more sustainable groundsplan and has reaped benefits by significantlydecreasing water use for common areas.

A project on the north of Virginia Parkway

started in 2001 illustrates how the communityhas beautifully blended the traditional mani-cured Bermuda grass turf with new drought-tolerant plantings. The design makes use ofa Bermuda grass strip between the street curband the sidewalk and, Buffalo grass, adrought-tolerant native turf, beyond thesidewalk up to the walking trail. Evergreenholly hedges along the fencing provide thebackdrop for other seasonal vegetation.

The trees within the Buffalo grass areas usea bubbler irrigation system, which allowstrees to be watered separately while cuttingback on Buffalo grass irrigation. Allowing theBuffalo grass to grow to its maximum heightof 5” to 6” has cut down on maintenancecosts, reducing mowings to about twice a year.

Visit these websites www.savedallaswa-ter.com and www.txsmartscape.com whichlist “water-wise” plants such as lantana, salvia,yarrow and Mexican sage to add color toseasonal beds. The sites also provide anumber of water conservation tips. Yourassociation manager can obtain bids fromqualified landscape professionals to develop aplan that can be installed in phases as yourHOA’s budget permits.

Well Water Irrigation Baldwin also noted that a number of his

developer clients are installing wells to supplywater for common area landscaping as a resultof last summer’s drought restrictions. He saidStar Creek in Allen will be digging a wellnortheast of Waters and Stacy Rd. Plans arein the works for a well to provide commonarea irrigation for Newman Village, a newDarling Homes development in Frisco, as well.

“Water quality is a big issue for water forplantings, and typically, the deeper the wellthe better the water quality,” said Baldwin.“Bad water quality from a well can lead topoor performance for plant material growthor it can even kill landscaping.”

He advises that water from a well bepumped into a pond or lake, where the badelements and salts can either settle out orevaporate. The cleaner water then can befiltered and pumped from the pond or lakeinto the irrigation system. “The well and irri-gation system is an expensive proposition, butclients are realizing the long-term value mayeventually offset initial costs,” Baldwin said.

Adapt (continued from page 1)

The trail running under the bridge at Stonebridge Drive features Gulf Muhly grass (muhlen-bergia capillaries). This native grass can be used in a large mass to create a striking coloreffect of feathery blossoms in the fall. Common ornamental grasses that are used locallyinclude Hameln Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’) Maidengrass (Miscanthussinensis), and Weeping Love Grass (Eragrostis curvula).

Photos courtesy of David C. Baldwin, Inc.

In the medians of Stonebridge Drive north of Virginia, the landscape designer used plantmaterials which would provide year-round seasonal interest through flowering, texture, and/orfall color. A variety of native plants, adapted plants, ornamental grasses, groundcovers anddrought-tolerant perennials in large masses have a noticeable impact for drivers passing by.The pink shrub is 'Anthony Waterer' Spiraea (Spiraea ' bumalda 'Anthony Waterer') which isan "adapted' plant. The yellow planting mass in the background is 'Stella d'Oro Daylily(Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro) planted under 'Shoal Creek' Vitex or Chaste Tree(Vitex Agnus-casts 'Shoal Creek') which has purple blooms in the spring.

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To mount a coordinated assault, consider theTexas Two-Step Method, which gives excellentcontrol of red imported fire ants, especiallyin larger lawns or when applied to entireneighborhoods. By joining with neighbors,you can reduce costs, improve control andhave fun at the same time. It takes longerfor fire ants to re-infest when largerareas and multiple yards are treatedwith this method.

The Texas Agricultural Extension Serviceoutlines the Texas Two-Step Method, a how-toguide for homeowners and neighborhoods.Visit the www.tcebookstore.org/pubinfo.cfm?pubid=572.

Some highlights: Step One: Feed Them and Reap

Fire ant bait, a product containing food,plus an insecticide, is broadcast over a yardor larger areas. These particles are collectedby worker ants and carried to the colonywhere it’s shared with the queen and otherants. Baits take time to do their work, from 2weeks to as much as 6 months, if the bait isone that works to regulate the insect’sgrowth cycle.

Baits are effective only when fire ants areactively searching for food, so applying themat the right time is important. For most ofTexas, the best time to bait is between Mayand September. Apply baits in the eveningwhen the ground temperature is cooler andants are actively foraging. A fertilizer spreader

or seed spreaderworks well to scat-ter the bait over ayard-size area. Step Two: Treat Problem Mounds

Where fire ants have already erectedmounds, attack the enemy’s turf. Applyingan insecticide or other treatment directly toa fire ant mound is the fastest way to destroymost fire ant colonies. It isn’t necessary totreat all mounds after applying bait.

Step two treatment should target colonieslocated next to foundations, in high-trafficcommon areas or other trouble spots, such aselectrical equipment. A number of productscan be applied to mounds in the form ofgranules, liquid drenches, and dry dust, allof which contain pesticides Organic orplant-derived products will also control fireants, but may cost more and act more slowlythan conventional pesticides.

Texas Two-StepAttack Ants on the Home Front

Pest Patrol:Trounce Ant BulliesWhen it comes to controlling fire ants, here’sthe rule of thumb— Kill the Varmints! Ourmoderate Texas climate is the perfect havenfor red imported fire ants. When this fiendishspecies invades an area, they do it with avengeance, invading homes, school yards,athletic fields, golf courses, and parks anddamaging plants and electrical equipment.

Known for their aggressive behavior, fireants swarm over anyone or anything thatdisturbs their nest. Their painful stings areinflicted on wild animals, pets or people, insome instances, even killing them. What doesthis mean to your HOA? Money for repairsand eradication, not to mention the risk ofpainful stings to homeowners, their childrenand pets.

Fire ant mounds, the most visible evidenceof infestation, will be found in open areassuch as lawns, pastures, golf courses, alongroadsides and in sidewalk cracks. However,mounds will not always be visible. Fire antswill nest in electrical equipment (computersand televisions), water meter casings, undercarpets, in wall voids, and around plumbing.Outside, they can be found in gardens, com-post piles, and mulched flowerbeds.

If you suspect your HOA occupies primeturf in this battle of man vs. nature, head offfire ant bullies by having common areastreated before the invaders infest yourneighborhood. Promote awareness amonghomeowners by encouraging them to treattheir yards in conjunction with the HOA’streatment of common areas.

Keep in mind, there are literally thousandsof ant species, some relatively benign. If you’reunsure whether you’re battling fire ants, callon a professional pest control company todiagnose the infestation and treat it. Hiringa professional to treat your neighborhoodcan ensure that your treatments are appliedproperly and on time. Some pest controlcompanies offer lower individual yard treat-ment prices for neighborhood treatmentprograms. Your CMA manager can arrangefor bids to have a professional apply baitsand treatments in common areas.

Your HOA needn’t be bullied by fire antsthis summer. Your vigilance and persistencenow will pay off to keep your community safefrom these unwelcome intruders.

Fire Ant Facts: Did you know?

North American fire ants are unique in that

they form colonies with multiple queens.

The queen can live up to 2 to 7 years and

in that time will bear 1,500 to 1,600 eggs

per day. Some colonies may have 100,000

to 500,000 ants.

Fire ant mounds can be more than 15

inches high, 15 inches in diameter and

up to 5 feet deep.

By regurgitating their food, fire ant workers

are able to share their food with the nest.

This food sharing is also why slow-acting

poison baits can be used to eradicate

the nests.

A periodic publication of RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc.

1800Preston Park Blvd., Suite 101

Plano, TX 75093

CMA’SLEADERSHIPADVISOR

Editor: Marilyn DunsworthAssociate Editor: Ann Lau

Special Contributor: Paul Grucza, VicePresident, Mid Cities Region

Graphic Design: Creative Intelligence

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Water: The Fate of our Most Precious Resource (paperback)by Marq de Villiers

With a keen eye for detail and a solid command of the scientific literature,a Canadian journalist travels worldwide and reports on news that israrely good. The world is running out of its most vital resource in theplaces where it’s most needed. From a perspective of humankind’shistory of managing water, he tells wide-ranging stories of problems andsolutions being implemented worldwide.

A periodic publication of

1800 Preston Park Blvd., Suite 101Plano, TX 75093

www.cmamanagement.comPlease direct all inquiries to Ann Lau,

at the above address or call 972-943-2800.

CMA’S LEADERSHIP ADVISOR

©2007 RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc.All rights reserved.

Quote "The frog does notdrink up the pondin which he lives."

--Native American Saying