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With the drought continuing in California despite El Niño, more and more homeowners are considering alternatives to thirsty lawns. But before pulling up the turf, consider your options and their advantages and disadvantages.

Grass typically uses about 60 gallons of water per week for every 10-by-10-foot area. That can add up in a hurry. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 30 to 60 percent of a household’s water usage goes toward landscape irrigation.

The development of drought-resilient water resources and a sustained emphasis on water-use efficiency mean that San Diego County will continue to have a safe and reliable water supply for decades, according to the San Diego County Water Authority’s draft 2015 Urban Water Management Plan.

The draft plan — known as the 2015 UWMP based on when the updating process began — was released Friday for public review, starting a public comment period that will include a public hearing on May 26 during the regular meeting of the Water Authority Board of Directors.

Southern California didn’t get the El Niño rains that other parts of the state did this year, and is still very much mired in a drought that’s dragged on for years. Now, fire officials with the US Forest Service are bracing for the effect that persistent dryness will have on this year’s summer wildfire season. The federal government will put out its official wildfire outlook in three days, but they’ve already said things aren’t looking so great for the region, says the Daily News.

Wednesday, April 28, was a happy time at Diamond Valley Lake as news spread that rising water levels will enable private boat launching to resume May 18.

The lake’s massive concrete launch ramp, which has a vertical rise similar to an 11-story building, closed a year ago because of low water levels caused by the drought. MWD officials drew the lake down 115 feet below its high-water mark to supply customers during the water shortage. That left the ramp dry.

Los Angeles water wasters could be fined up to $40,000 per month under new regulations created in response to a crushing drought that’s poised to stretch into a fifth year.

Mayor Eric Garcetti signed the new regulations into law Wednesday. They allow the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to fine homeowners between $1,000 and $40,000 for what Garcetti described in a statement as “unreasonable use.”