These days, habitat gardens are all the rage among eco-conscious Californians. They add native plants to their yards, patios or even balconies to provide food and shelter for wildlife.
But here’s the bitter truth: It’s not a real habitat garden if it doesn’t have a water source, as in a place where bees and butterflies can reliably sip without drowning or where birds can splash and preen.
From prolonged drought to excessive flooding, water conditions in California have been anything but consistent during the past few years. That’s a problem for one of the world’s leading agricultural regions.
With climate change threatening one of California’s biggest industries, we need to invest in a truly resilient and reliable water future. We need Sites Reservoir.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded Oceanside $15 million to further programs that reduce the city’s reliance on imported water and increase the use of recycled and brackish groundwater sources.
Oceanside is one of San Diego County’s leaders in the use of purified wastewater, which is injected into the underground water table and later removed along with the brackish groundwater and filtered for use in the local drinking water supply.
Saying it needs to evaluate all options for new sources of drinking water, Silicon Valley’s largest water district is studying a plan to build the first seawater desalination plant along the shores of San Francisco Bay.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District, a government agency based in San Jose, has approved spending $1.7 million for Black & Veatch, a Walnut Creek firm, to conduct an engineering feasibility study over the next 12 months for a project near the bay’s shoreline in Palo Alto, Mountain View or San Jose.
“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” – From Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner“
A couple of weeks ago, my attention was captivated by a television news story about people in a Memphis apartment complex who had gone five days without access to water. Portable toilets had been set up around the complex.
While California and Nevada remain virtually drought-free, climate experts say extreme heat and wildfire risk may continue plaguing the West for months.
Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said during a webinar Monday that ongoing heat events across the West present a major risk to vulnerable communities, despite a good water supply outlook for the region.
Another bout of prolonged heat has kicked off across California and much of the West, expected to again bring several days of triple-digit temperatures to most inland areas.
July’s second major heat wave isn’t forecast to be as extreme as the last event, which set several all-time records for high temperatures. Nevertheless, the National Weather Service predicted that it will be a “long-duration heat wave,” which creates uniquely dangerous conditions — especially when temperatures barely drop at night.
When it comes to gardening, there are people who impulsively strike out on their own, cheerfully assured that all they need to do is choose some cool plants, put them in the ground and water them — and the results will be perfect harmony. And then there are others for whom research is part of the thrill and they couldn’t imagine not having the whole process mapped out.
Dean Williams is among the latter group of precise, organized and research-driven gardeners, one who is now joyful and enthusiastic in his achievement, especially because he had a plan and it worked.
Continuing my comments from last week regarding California’s water supply and conservation, I am reminded of a trip to Chico some 35 years ago. Our family was living through our second drought since moving here in 1973. You may recall a couple of years ago I wrote how this state is subject to recurring droughts roughly every 7 to 10 years. Dry years are nothing new.
We were in Chico in August and it was hot. In San Diego County we had already been warned about water usage and how to conserve. So when I drove around Chico I was shocked to see how many yards were being watered around noon-time. I was a bit unnerved seeing so much water running down curbsides when we down south had to curtail our consumption.
Two separate 5-0 Rainbow Municipal Water District board votes June 25 approved an increase for water and wastewater rates and an increase in capacity fees. Water rates will increase by approximately 4.5% while wastewater rates will be increased by 13%. The first capacity fee increase in seven years will be 26.4%.
