The state’s decision this week to cut off Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta access to thousands of farmers and water agencies highlights the need for serious and immediate conservation throughout the Bay Area and California.
It’s been obvious for months that the state faces its most serious water shortage since the historic 2012-16 drought. Bay Area water agencies should be imposing mandatory water restrictions on users now.
The mighty Colorado River used to flow freely all the way to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. But over the years, its delta and various ecosystems have dried up.
Thanks to an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, the delta will receive water deliveries for environmental purposes from now until October. This will help restore a landscape that once supported a rich diversity of life because, as scientists have discovered, life returns if you add some water.
Severe drought highlights the need for greater investment to improve aging California water facilities, and increases calls for allocation of federal and state resources to tackle the problem.
A national coalition that includes the California Farm Bureau urged U.S. Senate leaders last week to take action to address the shortcomings of aging water infrastructure, and to include “a broad range of water uses” in any federal infrastructure legislation. At the same time, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators plan to invest at least $5 billion to address critical water needs.
Regarding the Salton Sea, Henny Youngman might say, “Take the pending disaster of the Salton Sea, please.”
Many in this Valley have never been to the big salty lake. Some of us of us love it, its bizarre creation, and its lumpy history. Photographers come from afar to grab images of the now fading graffiti that marked so many of the ruins bordering the western side of the sea. Not quite the site of an ancient civilization, that territory was home to lots of angry, broke, disoriented, and confident aerosol artists. It was a joy to see a free gallery of “edgy on the edge” of the big body of sometimes stinky water.
Plants don’t literally have feet to take them on a walk, but landscapers often refer to a plant’s “feet,” or their roots. Plants like – and need – water on their roots to thrive. While plants absorb water through their leaves, it’s not very efficient due to evaporation. Roots absorb the bulk of water a plant needs to thrive through small root hairs, which are thin-walled outgrowths of the plant’s epidermis. The film of water surrounding soil particles provides its irrigation supply.
Horticulturists refer to plant roots in soggy soil as “wet feet.” Plants that can thrive without too much water on their roots are said to have “dry feet.”
The same way people don’t like waterlogged, soggy feet in wet socks on a cold day, plants don’t welcome their roots sitting in standing water. Most plants don’t grow well with excessive moisture at the roots. It can cause rot and other diseases. Very few plants grow in wet areas, and while it isn’t a common problem in the arid Southwestern United States, plants might end up in standing water in poorly drained landscaping.
The California Native Iris (Iris douglasiaria) is a plant that doesn’t mind having “wet feet,” or damp roots. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Everett’s California Fuschia is an example of a plant that doesn’t like to have wet feet, meaning roots sitting in water. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Get advice from the local garden center or horticulturalists familiar with your area for other good choices. In general, native plants match well to similar nature conditions in the landscaping.
This article is part of a year-long series inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.
A long-planned water recycling project for the Five Cities area — Central Coast Blue — hangs in uncertainty after the City of Arroyo Grande unanimously voted on June 8th to withdraw from the project unless their demand for a shared operating agreement is met.
Central Coast Blue, spearheaded by the City of Pismo Beach, is a multi-million dollar project set to bring a reliable water source to the Five Cities area by using recycled water. But the City of Arroyo Grande is having second thoughts, after Mayor Caren Ray-Russom said their demand to have equal decision making governance over the project was ignored.
One of the two rivers flowing into the heart of Iowa that provide 500,000 residents with drinking water is slowly being infiltrated by toxic algae as temperatures climb.
The other river is drying up and dipping to dangerously low levels as a historic drought grips the United States.
The Hawkeye State’s plight underscores why climate change is seen as a threat multiplier for the drinking water sector — from cratering water levels and drought to floods and extreme weather. And then there are toxic algal blooms that can kill fish, foul water, and threaten human and ecosystem health.
The Environmental Protection Agency has put another delay on a Trump-era update to a rule governing lead and copper in drinking water, according to a new federal register notice.
The notice says that the rule, which was previously expected to take effect on Thursday, will now take effect on December 16. It also pushed back the date at which it requires compliance by one month until October 16, 2024.
Encinitas, Calif. — At its meeting this evening, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors approved budget cuts following confirmation of OMWD’s exceptionally strong financial profile. The board was notified that Fitch Ratings, a global rating agency that offers independent credit opinions, has reaffirmed OMWD’s “AAA” bond rating with a stable outlook, the highest possible rating assigned by Fitch. The board also approved a revised budget for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 that saves over $1 million versus the originally approved budget.
Encinitas, Calif. — Winners of the annual “Love Water, Save Water” youth poster competition were recognized by Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors at its June 16 meeting.
Students from fourth grade classes in OMWD’s service area participated in this year’s competition. All three winners are from Stone Ranch Elementary School in 4S Ranch.
The first place winner was Norah Shin. Her poster features a faucet with a globe-colored water drop positioned between two hands making a heart.
