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Conserve Water Las Cruces!

The Water Conservation Program works to sustain the supply of our precious water for future use. We:

–Administer the Water Conservation Ordinance that regulates outdoor watering. Please report water waste to our program hotline at 575-528-4444.
–Address abnormal water consumption by alerting customers when possible. Las Cruces Utilities gas and water customers can set up their own alerts by registering for Utility Hawk at LCUtilityHawk.com
–Educate the public so conservation efforts are adopted and self-motivated because they are supported by personal knowledge.

Contact Rhonda Diaz, Water Conservation Program Coordinator, at ConserveWater@LasCruces.Gov or 575-528-3549 for more information.

Each spring & fall the Water Conservation Program hosts a series of free workshops on Water Wise Landscaping, irrigation, gardening and related topics. The purpose is to help Las Cruces residents make the best use of limited water resources by creating water-wise and sustainable landscapes and gardens.

Location: Las Cruces City Hall Council Chambers, 700 N. Main St.
When: 5:30-7:30pm on the following Thursdays
April 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2026
May 7, 14, and 21, 2026

Lush and Lean Presentations are also available via Zoom.
Register for Zoom Meeting

Upcoming Schedule 

 

Demonstration Garden:

The Las Cruces Utility office showcases a wide variety of low water & desert adapted plants. Come visit to see mature plants in season. 618 N. Motel Blvd. The Garden is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Event
Spring Stroll in the Garden,
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
9 a.m. to noon.

Download our Demonstration Garden Guide (PDF)

In this desert climate all new plants will need some irrigation to get started in the Landscape. Most plants will need continued irrigation throughout their lifespan. Proper maintenance & scheduling of irrigation can save water, plants and money.

Did you know?

As much as 50 percent of the water we use outdoors is wasted from inefficient watering methods and systems.
Curb your water waste!

Check your Irrigation monthly. It’s easy! Turn on the system and let it run, look for leaks, is water getting to all the plants?
Is water running off property or being wasted by watering where there are no plants?

person kneeling on the grass by a road adjusting irrigation.

REPORT WATER WASTE!

575-528-4444


Watering Restrictions

  • Mondays – no outdoor watering
  • Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays – outdoor watering for even-numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8)
  • Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays – outdoor watering for odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9)

Between April 1 and September 30 outdoor watering is only allowed before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m

Watering Ordinance

Request a variance to the ordinance, or for help reducing your water usage, contact Rhonda Diaz, Water Conservation Program Coordinator, at 575-528-3549 or email: ConserveWater@LasCruces.gov or LBezner@LasCruces.Gov.

Additional Resources:

Kids

The Water Conservation Program offers education programs and events to help kids learn about saving water at home and ….. for information contact Molly New at MNew@LasCruces.gov.

Water Festival for 4th Grade
Each year the Water Conservation Program hosts a day-long water festival for grade school children. The theme for 2026 is “Water: Every Hero’s Superpower.”

kids at water festival 2025During the 2025 Water Festival, more than 1400 4th grade students and featured informative exhibits and hands-on activities about hydrology, cultural uses of water, local geography, and environmental impacts.

 

Photo Galleries

Where does our water come from?
In-Class learning experience. Contact Molly New at MNew@LasCruces.gov. to schedule in the classroom.

Conserve Water Las Cruces Kids

An interactive free event for kids to learn about Water Conservation and get hands on participation with soil, seeds, fungi and much more!
Happening at the Demonstration Garden, located at 680 N. Motel Blvd
Date for 2026 to be announced soon.

Young girl looking into a white contained filled with soil.

Kids are able to:

  • Make seed balls, plant one and take one
  • Learn to make organic compost for your garden
  • Check out 10 packets of seeds from Tierra Sagrada Seed Library Mobile Unit
  • Make newspaper planters
  • Learn about Good fungi and bad fungi
  •  Learn about important pollinators and interact with live bugs with NMSU Arthropod Collection Curator

Woman pointing to a booklet held by a child by a pop-up tent.People standing near pop up tents outside with balloonscup of dirt beside a packet of pumpkin seeds.Cups with dirt and rubber gloved hands handling the cups.People interacting under a pop up tentPeople talking in the shade under a tree.people talking in the shade with a sign in the photo that says seed library.

Kids Learning Links

2025 Water Festival Recap

A Day Without Water

Do you take water for granted? You need water to live so could you imagine what would happen if this resource ran dry.

National Night Out 2025

The Water Conservation Program engaged community members at the National Night Out event on August 5, 2025 in downtown Las Cruces. The evening was a wonderful opportunity to remind residents they can conserve water at home. One concept – only showering in the amount of time it takes to sing your favorite song (with the idea popular songs are about a few minutes long.

Lush and Lean Workshops

Orange Plants and cactus, as an example of xeriscaping.

April 2

Design a Waterwise Landscape

This class will cover xeriscape design principles from planning to plants.
Presenter: Jackye Meinecke, former owner of Enchanted Gardens, garden designer and consultant

Dirt in hands with a dusting falling from hands and tiny boot of root sticking out from the bottom of hands.
April 9

Soil Sustains Life

Types of soil vary greatly depending on where you live in our area. What type of soil is in your yard? How can it be improved? We’ll cover resources for compost and mulch.
Presenter: Bill Lindemann, Ph.D., Professor of Soil Microbiology, NMSU

Several red apples close up on a tree with green leaves and stems in the photo.
April 16

What To Know Before Planting Fruit Trees

We’ll discuss the joys and challenges of growing fruit in our desert. Tree species and variety selection, irrigation, pruning and pest management will be explained.
Presenter: Richard Heerema, Ph.D., Extension Pecan Specialist, NMSU

weeds growing with some dirt
April 23

Integrated Weed Management

We’ll cover a robust Integrated Pest Management program for weeds –it’s the best method to improve success as well as sustainability.
Presenter: Leslie Beck, Ph.D., Extension Weed Specialist, NMSU

Home with garden built up with different desert plants and cactus.
May 7

Bold Plants for the Zone 8 Garden

Create striking architecture in your outdoor space by adding structure, texture, and color with plants that are natives or from locales similar to our climate that will thrive in our plant hardiness zone.
Presenter: David Lyman, MD, MPH, Doña Ana County Master Gardener

 

Turf Grass field from front of photo to back of photo. Just green grass.
May 14

Irrigation for Turfgrass Water Conservation

Proper irrigation can significantly reduce water demand without sacrificing functionality or lawn quality. We’ll cover turfgrass species best suited for our area and optimal methods to water your yard.
Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., Turfgrass Extension Specialist, NMSU

Person using pruning shears to shape tree limbs
May 21

Pruning Workshop

Learn how to prune your trees and shrubs for sustainability and long-term survival. This is a hands-on pruning workshop at Albert Johnson Park in front of Branigan Library, dress for the activity and bring a chair if you’d like.
Presenter: Les Finley, Longtime Local Horticulturist and Nurseryman, ISA Certified Arborist

View Previous Workshops from Fall 2025
(Click Individual Videos Below for Each Workshop)

Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces Utilities plans 40 years in advance, continuing to develop and maintain a sustainable water supply through a proactive conservation program using ground water from two possible sources: Mesilla Basin and Jornada del Muerto.

Las Cruces Utilities is a permitted water system allowed only a limited amount of water from the two aquifers. That’s why it’s so important to save water. Every community is faced with planning for future water use… and conservation is a critical part of our water plan now and in the future. It is vital that we do everything we can to decrease our water consumption. Las Cruces Utilities encourages plumbing fixture retrofits, water saving landscapes, and improved habits to decrease our everyday water use.

It is legal to harvest rainwater from your residence in New Mexico and in Las Cruces. There are a variety of ways to do this, from capturing water in depressions on the ground, called swales, to capturing water from the roof in a barrel or tank.

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