You are now in Features From the Archives category.

2003: Colorado River Agreement Signed

/in , /by

In 1995, the San Diego County Water Authority began negotiations with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) for the transfer of up to 500,000 acre-feet of water per year from the fertile farming area in the southeastern corner of California. In 1998, the Water Authority and IID signed an agreement that provided for the transfer of between 130,000 and 300,000 acre-feet of water per year, depending on the exercise of certain options. Despite legislation signed in 1998 by then Governor Pete Wilson to encourage the transfer, its actual implementation took five more years to materialize.

Faced with the propsect of reduced sales to its largest customer, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) responded to the Water Authority-IID deal with an all-out battle to protect its monopoly. In late 2003, pressure from the California State Legislature and the governor forced MWD to back down. It joined the Water Authority, IID, the Coachella Valley Water District, state of California, and the U.S. Department of the Interior in signing the historic Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). The QSA created a plan for limiting the state’s use of Colorado River water to its basic annual appointment of 4.4 million acre-feet, instead of continuing to rely on surplus supplies that belonged to other fast-growing states in the Southwest.

When you compare how much water an efficient landscape design needs compared to your existing landscape, you can estimate your water savings. Landscape water savings

How Low Can Your Landscape Water Savings Go?

/in , /by

In places like San Diego County where water is a very precious resource, landscape designs that use the least potable water necessary are a growing part of the regional ethic. That means property owners should think about the efficiency and sustainability they can achieve in their landscaping.  

As a general rule, it’s smart to maximize your ability to capture and use rainwater, and reduce, if not eliminate, your reliance on potable water for irrigation. When you compare how much water an efficient landscape design needs compared to your existing landscape, you can estimate your water savings.  

To calculate landscape water use, the four key variables are: 

  1. Landscape Area (LA) – the square feet of area being landscaped with plants that require irrigation 
  1. Evapotranspiration (ET) – this is the number in inches based on your San Diego Climate Zone
  1. Plant Factor (PF) – This is moderate, low, or very low depending on your plant selection 
  1. Irrigation Efficiency (IE) – There is no such thing as a perfect irrigation system. Many factors can limit efficiency and impact both your water use and the health of your plants. 

Let’s assume your landscaped area is 1,000 square feet, with an ET of 51 inches annually, and IE of 0.7. Now, look at the difference your plant selection can make in water use: 

Example 1: High Water Use plants (PF of 0.8) = 36,137 gallons of water per year 

Example 2: Moderate Water Use plants (PF of 0.5) = 22, 586 gallons of water per year 

Example 3: Low Water Use plants (PF of 0.2) = 9.034 gallons of water per year 

Example 4: Very Low Water Use plants (PF of 0.1) = 4,517 gallons of water per year 

 Based on these examples, you could save 17,103 gallons of water every single year by selecting very low water use plants instead of high water use plants.  

This article was 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.   

 

 

  

Sunset Market in Oceanside welcomed the "Brought To You By Water" giant beach ball ambassador, accompanied by Water Authority community outreach staff who provided information and answered questions about the region's water supply. Photo: Authority

Giant Beach Ball Sparks Countywide Conversations on Water

/in /by by Water News Network staff

In the wake of a successful summer kickoff event aboard the USS Midway on June 21, the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are taking the new Brought To You By Water outreach and education program to events throughout the region this summer, including farmers’ markets, concerts in the park, and street fairs.

The program’s visual ambassador — a 10-foot-diameter beach ball emblazoned with the ‘Brought to You by Water’ logo — has proved to be a hit. Dozens of people of all ages have eagerly accepted an invitation to sign the beach ball. They are asked to write something important or meaningful that is made possible by a safe and reliable source of water for the region.

Themes on the beach ball include children at play, pets, sports, the environment, and even wildfire protection. So far, the beach ball has popped up at a movie night in Santee and the Sunset Market in Oceanside.

The next scheduled events are:

  • Thursday, July 26 from 3-7 p.m. at North Park Farmers’ Market
  • Friday, August 10, from 6-8 p.m. at Alga Norte Community Park, Carlsbad for TGIF Concert in the Park
  • Sunday, August 26 from 6-8 p.m. at ARTS District Liberty Station

Follow the Water Authority on social media for future event dates and announcements on upcoming Brought to You by Water events.

Giant beach ball becomes regional ambassador

Visitors to the Oceanside Sunset Market get a close look at the topics written on the 'Brought To You By Water' beach ball. Photo: Charlie Neuman, Water Authority

Visitors to the Oceanside Sunset Market get a close look at the topics written on the ‘Brought To You By Water’ beach ball. Photo: Charlie Neuman, Water Authority

 

The Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water program explains how San Diego’s thriving economy and quality of life are all made possible by the safe and reliable water supply provided by the Water Authority and its 24 retail member agencies.

The  yearlong effort underscores the importance of water reliability to the region’s core industries, focusing on tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and craft brewing. According to a newly released San Diego Economic Development Corporation report, access to safe and reliable water supplies supports $482 million in total regional sales of goods and services daily. This figure is equivalent to the economic impact of nearly three Comic-Cons a day.

For more information about Brought to You by Water, visit B2UbyH2O.org

Paul Redeker surveys displays at The Water Conservation Garden, located on the campus of Cuyamaca College. Photo: David Ogul, Water Authority

Inspiring Change at The Water Conservation Garden

/in , /by by Water News Network staff

Horticulture director embraces educational mission

WaterSmart landscapes are transforming San Diego County’s neighborhoods in part due to the work of Paul Redeker and his colleagues at The Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon.

“We’re a learning center, not just a place where you’re surrounded by beautiful plants,” said Redeker, who recently returned for a second run as director of horticulture and facilities the garden. “All of our exhibits are geared toward teaching. We are all about educating the public to be inspired to make changes in their lives because we’re literally at the end of the water pipeline.”

Driving that point home is a giant pipe protruding from a landscaped embankment with water trickling from its opening into a lily pond near the entrance to this one-of-a-kind, six-acre conservation showcase on the campus of Cuyamaca College.

“I love the educational element,” Redeker said. “The learning that goes on in this garden regarding low-water options is wonderful.”

‘Wonderful’ low-water options

The Water Conservation Garden feature a Native Habitat Garden, the Compost Exhibit, the Veggie Garden and the Succulent Garden. Take a free, docent-led tour the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Illustration: The Garden

The Water Conservation Garden feature a Native Habitat Garden, the Compost Exhibit, the Veggie Garden and the Succulent Garden. Take a free, docent-led tour the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Illustration: The Garden

Opened in 1999, The Water Conservation Garden is owned by a joint powers agency comprising the San Diego County Water Authority, the Otay Water District, the Helix Water District, the Sweetwater Authority, the City of San Diego Public Utilities and Cuyamaca College. From the start, the garden was seen as an important conservation tool in a region with few natural water resources.

More than 30,000 people visit each year, and the garden’s programs reach an additional 80,000. It is the educational element that lured Redeker back. “The learning that goes on in this garden regarding low-water options is wonderful,” he said.

Born and raised on a Sonoma County ranch, Redeker earned his bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture, with a focus on landscape design, from Cal Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. He worked at several Northern California nurseries before exploring other career interests overseas.

Redeker returned to California and was designing landscapes for a San Diego company when he fell in love with public gardens and landed a position as The Water Conservation Garden’s director of horticulture more than 10 years ago.

After five years in El Cajon, he expanded his professional expertise at the San Diego Botanic Garden, another regional showcase garden in Encinitas. “It gave me a wonderful understanding of how larger gardens operate,” said Redeker.

A constantly evolving gem of a garden

Plans are underway for new displays including an interactive irrigation exhibit, watershed exhibit, and a new outdoor classroom. Photo: David Ogul, Water Authority

Plans are underway for new displays including an interactive irrigation exhibit, watershed exhibit, and a new outdoor classroom. Photo: David Ogul, Water Authority

Redeker returned to his “little gem of a garden” last fall, and he is thrilled with the opportunities to innovate. “We are always looking to improve the experience so that when people come back, they can see something new and fresh,” he said.

Projects under way or in the planning stages at The Water Conservation Garden include:

  •  An interactive irrigation exhibit to help visitors understand and appreciate different types of water-saving technologies.
  •  A watershed exhibit with a “follow the raindrop” feature that illustrates the benefits of strategic stormwater management.
  •  More than a dozen strategically placed, drought-tolerant trees – including the Silk Oak , Blue Atlas Cedar, Sweetshade, and the Variegated Brisbane box – have been planted throughout the garden to help keep summertime temperatures in check.
  •  An expanded indoor classroom that will more than triple capacity to nearly 100.
  •  A new outdoor classroom, covered with a shade structure, will replace the current outdoor class space.

“The new classroom is going to be huge for us,” said Pam Meisner, the garden’s director of operations and programs. “We simply don’t have the room to accommodate demand for all of our adult-education landscaping and gardening classes.”

Among the permanent features is a Retrofit Backyard Exhibit that includes a traditional backyard lawn – complete with a depiction of a homeowner struggling to mow a greenbelt that drinks some 28,000 gallons of water annually – adjacent to a more visually appealing, and less labor-intensive garden featuring drought-tolerant plants that uses just 6,000 gallons of water each year.

“People are being smarter and much more creative with what they’re doing with their landscape,” said Redeker. “We’re seeing smarter plant choices, more hardscape, more patios, more mulch, dry streambeds and the like, and it’s making a difference.”

 

Former water conservation class graduate and rebate recipient Rosalba Ponce from Chula Vista was named the Otay Water District's 2018 winner for “Best in District.” Photo: Courtesy Otay Water District Landscape Makeover

Otay Water District Announces 2018 WaterSmart Landscape Contest Winner

/in , /by

As part of the countywide WaterSmart Landscape Contest, the Otay Water District has selected water conservation class graduate and rebate recipient Rosalba Ponce of Chula Vista as the 2018 winner of its “Best in District” award.

Each year, participating water agencies in San Diego County honor residential customers who showcase the best water-efficient features in their yards. This year’s contest committee from Otay determined that Ponce’s landscape best achieved overall attractiveness, a well thought-out design, efficient irrigation methods, and appropriate plant selection and maintenance.

Water-efficient Mediterranean floral garden replaces thirsty front lawn

Former water conservation class graduate and rebate recipient Rosalba Ponce from Chula Vista was named the Otay Water District's 2018 winner for “Best in District.” Photo: Courtesy Otay Water District

Former water conservation class graduate and rebate recipient Rosalba Ponce from Chula Vista was named the Otay Water District’s 2018 winner for “Best in District.” Photo: Courtesy Otay Water District

Prior to converting her yard, Ponce participated in two of the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies’ water conservation programs — the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program series and the Sustainable Landscapes Program. In 2016, she attended the Water Authority’s free landscape makeover classes, and as a result hired a professional landscaper to help her replace her thirsty front lawn with a Mediterranean floral garden that was both welcoming and water-efficient.

“Upon retiring, I thought the four-class course would be perfect for me,” said Ponce. “At first, it was very difficult for me because I had never really stepped out into the garden in my whole life. I didn’t know what a valve or filters were. I didn’t know anything about what kind of soil I had. This course gave me the tools to learn about turf removal and opened my eyes to the joy of remodeling my yard.”

With water savings in mind, she also installed a drip irrigation system, two rain barrels, and a detention area to collect rainwater.

 Regional incentives help offset landscaping costs

The Otay Water District's WaterSmart Landscaping Content winner for 2018 is Rosalba Ponce of Chula Vista. Photo: Otay Water District Landscape Makeover Program

The Otay Water District’s WaterSmart Landscaping Content winner for 2018 is Rosalba Ponce of Chula Vista. Photo: Otay Water District

Ponce also submitted her application for the Sustainable Landscapes Program, and in less than nine months, she had completed the full transformation of her front and back yards, receiving an incentive of $1.75 per square foot for replacing approximately 1,200 square feet of turf with sustainable landscaping. (Editor’s Note: As of July 2018, sustainable landscaping incentives in San Diego County are available through the Landscape Transformation Program at www.socalwatersmart.com.)

Her residential landscape now serves as a living example of what conservation education can help create. Ponce’s efforts could have potentially led to a decrease in her overall water use by an average of up to 38 percent.

“Ms. Ponce’s landscape transformation demonstrates the importance of outdoor water-use efficiency as a means of helping to meet the future water needs of our service area and our region as a whole,” said Mitch Thompson, Otay Water District Board member and Water Conservation Garden Joint Powers Authority committee member. “Water-saving approaches to landscaping create healthy, natural yards that offer both economic and environmental benefits.”

Rosalba Ponce from Chula Vista receives recognition at the July 11 board meeting of the Otay Water District as its 2018 landscaping contest winner. Photo: Courtesy Otay Water District Landscape Makeover

Rosalba Ponce from Chula Vista receives recognition at the July 11 board meeting of the Otay Water District as its 2018 landscaping contest winner. Photo: Courtesy Otay Water District

At its July 11, 2018 meeting, the Otay Water District’s Board of Directors honored Ponce for exemplifying water-use efficiency in her garden. She was awarded a certificate of recognition, a gift certificate to a local nursery, and other promotional items. She is also being recognized in the district’s newsletter and other outreach materials.

“When I entered the contest, it was another way for me to share my story with other people and motivate them to do something that’s going to be good for our world,” said Ponce.

For more information about the landscape contest, go to www.landscapecontest.com.

READ MORE: Vista Irrigation District Announces WaterSmart Landscape Contest Winner

Beeblossom (Gaura) shrubs are a good low water use landscaping choice based on its Plant Factors rating. Photo: Water Authority

Knowing Your Plants’ Water Needs

/in , /by

Landscaping professionals use a resource called the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) to classify plants according to their water needs.  

It might sound really complex, but it’s really useful because it breaks down the water requirements for each type of plant into four categories: Very Low, Low, Moderate, and High. These water requirements are also called Plant Factors, and they are an important tool for transitioning to a more water-efficient landscape. 

Water Requirements by Plant Factors 

To come up with a Plant Factor for a given plant, that plant’s  water use is compared to cool season grass in a given climate zone.  

Why is that? Turf is among the thirstiest of all types of plants. When you replace turf areas with climate-appropriate plants with lower water requirements, and irrigate them with more efficient systems, you can realize a tremendous amount of water savings. There is no need to turn your landscaping into a dry, brittle moonscape to do it.  

Here are the Plant Factors, or PF, categories:  

Plant Factor categories from high to low water use. Graphic: Water Authority

Plant Factor categories from high to low water use. Graphic: Water Authority

High: These plants need from 60 to 100 percent of the water needed for a grass lawn (PF of 0.6 – 1.) 

Moderate: Plants need 30 to 60 percent of the water needed for a grass lawn (PF of 0.3 – 0.6) 

Low: Plants need 10 to 30 percent of the water needed for a grass lawn (PF of 0.1 – 0.3) 

Very Low: Plants need 10 percent or less of the water needed for a grass lawn (PF of less than 0.1) 

Group Plants by PF to Irrigate More Efficiently 

In the Water Authority’s Sustainable Landscaping guidebook, plant selections are color-coded to identify their water needs under this system. That approach provides an easy way to group plants by their water requirements in your landscape, so you can irrigate more efficiently.  

This article was 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.   

 

 

  

San Vicente Aqueduct

1954: Final Pipe Installed for Pipeline 2, San Vicente Aqueduct

/in , /by

Thanks to an intensive lobbying effort and consensus building by the San Diego County Water Authority’s first chairman, Fred Heilbron, the San Vicente Aqueduct’s second pipeline was constructed between 1951 and 1954.

The effort paid off when the second pipeline, parallel to and the same size as the first, began delivering water to the San Diego region. But even the doubling of capacity was insufficient to supply the growing population. The Water Authority had grown to 18 member agencies, and was four times the service area it had when it was originally formed ten years earlier in 1944.

Planning immediately began for a third pipeline, Pipeline 3.

Balboa Park sustainability efforts generate cost savings and efficiencies which boost its economic impact on the region. Photo: Water Authority

Balboa Park Sustainability Efforts Set World-Class Standards

/in /by by Water News Network staff

Most visitors know San Diego’s Balboa Park for its world-class museums, gardens, and performing arts venues. Behind the scenes is a learning laboratory of environmental best practices. Aaron L. Boyles, sustainability manager for the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, describes an active, collaborative effort moving quickly to make Balboa Park the most sustainable urban park in the country. Conserving water is a critical component of this effort.

Sustainability benefits San Diego’s economy

How is Balboa Park managing to embrace sustainability without affecting its status as a major tourist attraction and economic driver for the San Diego region’s tourism sector? Boyles says improvements in sustainability actually enhance the park’s operations.

“The business model is pretty clear,” said Boyles. “When you reduce your need for resources, whether that is water, energy, or consumable products, you reduce your expenditures. When talking about buildings that accommodate millions of visitors per year, those savings are significant. That money can be reinvested into better things like infrastructure and the quality of the visitor experience.

“Last year alone, through the installation of more efficient plumbing fixtures, we were able to save 2.4 million gallons of water. That is equivalent to 3.6 Olympic-sized swimming pools, which really adds up in the long run,” explained Boyles.

An unexpected benefit from embracing sustainability is improved collaboration and communication among the many organizations in Balboa Park. “There was a time when neighboring organizations in the park saw each other as competitors. Now we see each other the way our visitors always have. We are One Park – One Team,” said Boyles. “Pooling our knowledge and efforts multiplies our power to get what we want, and we all want the same thing.”

Among its many initiatives, the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership is partnering with the San Diego County Water Authority this summer to promote the importance of safe and reliable water supplies for the region through the Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water outreach and education program

Balboa Park’s cactus gardens are beautiful and diverse, and represent best practices in landscaping with plants that are native to this area. They need very little water to look great, and can provide ideas for low-maintenance, drought- resistant landscapes at homes and businesses in San Diego County. Photo: Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Balboa Park Sustainability

Balboa Park’s cactus gardens are beautiful and diverse, and represent best practices in landscaping with plants that are native to this area. They need very little water to look great, and can provide ideas for low-maintenance, drought- resistant landscapes at homes and businesses in San Diego County. Photo: Balboa Park Cultural Partnership

Environmental awareness part of the park’s experience

“People come to Balboa Park to have fun and to learn from our cultural organizations. We are committed to making the park a showcase for resource efficiency just as it is for history, culture, and the arts. We aim to inspire millions of park visitors from across the region and around the world to embrace the human experience, and the connection to our environment has always been a formative part of that experience.”

Sustainability is now a unifying force in Balboa Park. “Each of our organizations offers something unique, but it turns out they all share the same challenges in their operations,” said Boyles. “With different organizations constantly trying new things, there are endless opportunities to share successes and lessons learned. The potential for partnerships is huge. We are a microcosm for the larger trend taking hold, which has players like the City of San Diego, SDG&E, and the San Diego County Water Authority making the commitment.”

“We import most of the water we use in San Diego, and Balboa Park wants to lead the way in conservation of this precious resource,” said Boyles. Low flow or waterless bathroom fixtures, efficient irrigation, and offering reusable water bottles are just some of the ways Balboa Park is setting high standards.

Water-use efficiency boosts green buildings

Balboa Park’s Sustainability Program continues to advance solutions that will help protect park resources and strengthen economic viability, while enhancing visitor experience and enjoyment.

Established in 2008, the award-winning Sustainability Program is a collaborative effort between the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, the City of San Diego and San Diego Gas & Electric® (SDG&E). This collaboration is supported by an alliance of the Partnership’s members, Balboa Park stakeholders and sustainability experts.

The park is now home to 10 buildings certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, known widely as LEED®. LEED certified buildings promote environmental benefits by reducing energy and water use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions through efficient and sustainable practices.

The most frequently implemented energy-efficiency tactics include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades; lighting retrofits; control upgrades; and computer server consolidation. Many organizations at Balboa Park installed water-efficiency measures such as low-flow and faucet aerators.

The park’s LEED® certified buildings are:

  • The Old Globe
  • San Diego Natural History Museum
  • Fleet Science Center
  • WorldBeat Cultural Center
  • Casa de Balboa (San Diego History Center, Model Railroad Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts)
  • Casa del Prado (San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Youth Symphony)
  • House of Charm (Mingei International Museum and San Diego Art Institute)
  • Federal Building
  • Japanese Friendship Garden
  • San Diego Museum of Man

 

 

 

 

Sweetwater Dam was constructed through the efforts of the Kimball Brothers, and spurred development of National City and Chula Vista. Photo: SDCWA Archives

1895: Sweetwater Dam Spurs South Bay Growth

/in , /by

As early as 1853, farmers in the San Diego region started making the transition from dry land farming and ranching to irrigated agriculture, specifically lucrative citrus crops. With the prospect of large profits looking, farmers scrambled to develop local water supplies for irrigation.

A pair of enterprising brothers stepped up to fill the need for water in the back country. They organized the Kimball Brothers Water Company. In 1869, it bought the rights to the Sweetwater River and then built a reservoir with a 90-foot high dam and distribution pipes. Their water supply spurred the development of National City and Chula Vista.

Knowing how to classify your plants by water use characteristics will help you plan your sustainable landscaping. Photo: Water Authority plant factor

Evapotranspiration: The Key To Watering Your Plants

/in , /by

How much water do plants really need in your landscaping?

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the process of assessing various factors to determine how much water plants use, and when they need it. ET is a quick, simple way for landscape experts to explain environmental conditions such as solar radiation (sunshine) or cloud cover. The stronger the sun’s rays, the higher the ET. 

Think of plant leaves as having similar properties to solar panels. They gather energy that enables plants to transform water and carbon dioxide from the air into oxygen and sugars for growing, and for feeding soil microbes. Transpiration of moisture through leaves is a little like people sweating. It cools down the leaves. Water also evaporates from the soil itself around plants. The combined water loss from the plants and the soil together makes up evapotranspiration.  

Why do you need to know this? Understanding water loss in terms of ET is helpful when you select plants for sustainable landscaping, so you choose the lowest Landscape Water Requirements; in planning irrigation; and managing the Soil Moisture Account.  

Look for Four Characteristics Shared By Drought–Tolerant Plants 

Do you need help identifying climate-appropriate plant choices for your new sustainable landscaping? There are four characteristics shared by drought-tolerant plants. 

Stiff, Leathery Leaves: These leaves hold on to water and stay evergreen most of the year. 

Silver or Hairy Leaves: Light colored leaves reflect sunlight, cooling the plant. Hairy leaves hold moisture longer and keep the plant cooled off. 

Tiny Leaves: These are like tiny solar panels, easier to keep cool than one large hot surface. 

Solar Tracking Leaves: These leaves seem to stand at attention in the middle of the day, straight up and down. As the day progresses, the leaves become more horizontal as the plant shifts its solar panel leaves to minimize sun exposure. Many California native plants like manzanitas have this ingenious adaptation.  

The Water Authority’s Sustainable Landscaping guidebook contains a Plant List with climate-appropriate plants. They are also highlighted throughout the guidebook. 

This article was 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.