For years I've watched irrigation contractors, designers, consultants, and water managers wrestle with the same question:
How much water should a landscape actually need?
The research exists. The science exists. But getting from all that information to something practical in the field often feels harder than it should.
So I decided to build something.
In this episode, I'm introducing S.L.I.D.E. — Simplified Landscape Irrigation Demand Estimation, a new tool designed to help estimate landscape water demand using plant type, location, and historical climate information.
More importantly, I'm inviting you into the process.
Visit: SLIDE Calculator and try it for yourself.
Be curious about the results. Test your own property, customer sites, parks, or projects. If you find a bug, have an idea, or think something feels off, click the Buoy icon in the upper right corner and submit a ticket. Those messages come directly to me.
This episode is less of a launch announcement and more of an invitation to build something together.
Additional notes for fellow nerds:
- The S.L.I.D.E. methodology builds upon research developed by researchers with the University of California Cooperative Extension.
- U.S. weather and rainfall inputs use historical gridMET reference evapotranspiration and precipitation data averaged from 2021–2025.
- Canada weather and rainfall inputs use Open-Meteo historical climate archive data.
Because sometimes the best ideas happen when we stop pretending we have it all figured out…and start building in public.