As of January 1, watering lawns within Santa Barbara city limits will be outlawed in response to Southern California’s worsening drought and the South Coast’s all-but-empty reservoirs. While the City Council was unanimous about the watering ban, there was much heated discussion about the possibility of water rationing and even a moratorium on new development.
A rainy October in Northern California has lifted about a quarter of the state out of drought conditions, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday. It’s the rosiest picture released by federal officials since the spring of 2013, when about 64% of the state was considered to be in “moderate drought” — or worse. The rains so far this fall have given some weather watchers reason for optimism as California braces for a potential sixth year of drought. But much of Central and Southern California remain locked in what the drought monitor calls “exceptional or extreme drought.”
October’s rains put a modest dent in California’s drought, leaving the state in its best shape in more than three years, according to data released Thursday. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly report showed that 12 percent of California, all in the northernmost counties, is now considered drought-free. That’s the highest percentage since March 2013. A year ago, all four counties in the Sacramento region were in “exceptional drought,” the worst classification. Most of Sacramento and Yolo counties remain in “severe drought” status.
Over the past five years, Californians have been trained to turn the faucet off when brushing their teeth, allow their lawns to turn dusty brown and keep their gardens alive using dishwater. These tactics, among others, allowed urban water users to reduce their average consumption by almost 25 percent in 2015. Those caught wasting water were publicly shamed by the media. The state’s almond industry, especially, has been vilified for its intensive use of California’s precious water.
Governor Jerry Brown will be in San Diego making his voice heard over Proposition 53. He’s meeting with public safety and local leaders to oppose the initiative. Prop 53 requires a state-wide vote on bond projects costing more than $2 billion. The governor says Prop 53 erodes local control by forcing everyone in California to approve projects first. The California Professional Firefighters Association, first responders and sheriffs are also against the measure.
This permanent shift in the way Californians use and think about water is apparent in communities up and down the state where lawns are being replaced with water-wise landscapes thanks in part to the hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates offered by state and local agencies. Water customers also are changing out toilets and appliances indoors, making meaningful water-use reductions that can be sustained into the future. Last winter’s modest storms and smart planning and investments by local water agencies allowed Californians to move beyond drastic emergency measures required in 2015 to more sustainable practices.
State Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin’s commentary (“Unity needed for statewide water solutions,” Oct 29) grossly overstated our region’s reliance on the Bay-Delta. It is not our largest imported water source, accounting for only 4 percent of our region’s supply last year. Nor does the Bay-Delta provide more than half of our water in wet years, as stated in the article. Our reliance on Bay-Delta water continues to decline because our ratepayers embraced conversation and invested heavily in diversified supplies. By 2040, we anticipate less than 7 percent of our supplies will come from the Bay-Delta, while 15 percent will come from potable reuse.
Yumi Wong adores the latest addition to her southern California home: a lush, emerald lawn. “It just looks much nicer with all the green. It feels clean and peaceful,” she said on Tuesday, padding across the 2,800-sq-ft grass expanse. “I thought about artificial turf but I just wanted the real stuff back.” It arrived last week, a boon for her two children, two dogs and tortoise, and fitted right into Rancho Cucamonga, a neighbourhood east of Los Angeles. “Here nobody on the street has got rid of grass,” said Wong, 36, a physician’s assistant.
Gov. Jerry Brown has been around long enough to have learned to pick his battles carefully, especially when it comes to navigating the complicated thicket of initiatives on the California ballot next week. So it is notable that Mr. Brown has started a full-scale campaign to defeat one of them: Proposition 53, which would require voter approval before the state could issue bonds for projects over $2 billion, financed with user fees, such as tolls. The measure has been championed by Dean Cortopassi, a wealthy farmer and landowner who lives near Stockton.
Poseidon Water came to terms with two state agencies and a regional water board to streamline the permitting process for a planned desalination plant in Huntington Beach, it was announced Oct. 13. The joint agreement included Poseidon Water, California Coastal Commission, California State Lands Commission and the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board. A statement released by Poseidon claimed the joint agreement would “clearly define the remaining permitting process.” Changes to and clarification of the permitting process should help Poseidon proceed with its Coastal Development Permit, or CDP.
