The Bureau of Reclamation recently declared a water shortage on the Colorado River, but that hasn’t stopped states from proposing new water projects.
Just about every drop on the Colorado River is accounted for. But climate change has reduced the amount of water in the system.
Gary Wockner is with Save the Colorado, a conservation group that is tracking new projects.
As unprecedented drought conditions plague much of the West, reservoirs are running dry. Communities reliant on these sources for drinking water are tightening restrictions to preserve adequate supplies.
“This is the first time it’s been this severe,” said Tom Colbert of Healdsburg, California. “It’s disheartening. We’ve had friends move out of California because of the drought and the wildfires.”
After declaring a State 2 water alert, the City of Sacramento is asking residents to reduce their water usage by 15%.
In a press release, city council called on residents, businesses, and city operations to voluntarily lower their water usage. For those looking to wash their car, Tuesday’s declaration means they’ll only be allowed to do so on the property’s watering days, which is currently restricted to two days a week. Fines for water waste will also be doubled.
Residents and businesses in unincorporated areas of San Diego County are eligible for increased water-use efficiency rebates under a partnership announced Tuesday between the county’s Watershed Protection Program and the San Diego County Water Authority.
The program could save money for residential, commercial and agricultural customers who make landscape upgrades designed to improve the region’s climate resilience and reduce the flow of pollutants into waterways.
The City of Oceanside is being awarded $1.06 million for its planned Well Expansion and Brine Minimization Project from the Federal Bureau of Reclamation under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act Desalination Program.
Beginning this past Monday, Roseville residents are required to reduce water use by 20 percent.
The mandatory conservation requirement builds upon the 10-percent voluntary water use reduction announced in May and recognizes that the water supply outlook is stressed at Folsom Lake and throughout California.
Looking to bolster its water reserves during a historic drought, the Palmdale Water District, on Monday, continued its request that customers conserve water by 15% and also agreed to purchase water from another State Water Project contractor.
The Board of Directors reaffirmed the voluntary water conservation program by implementing Stage Two of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
The District, in June, adopted an updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan, in which the requested 15% reduction falls under Stage Two instead of Stage One, as it was in the previous plan.
New waterwise landscaping represents a significant investment in time and cost. Trees stand out as the most valuable players in your landscape design. No other landscape plant offers greater benefits to your landscape and the environment as a whole.
Trees save energy and clean the air. They counteract the urban heat island effect and fight climate change. Trees provide property protection and improve property values. Neighbors with more trees even have lower crime rates.
Investing in tree maintenance is vital to keep them healthy. Tree pruning should only be done for a specific reason. First, for corrective or preventative measures. Second, to remove dead, crowded, or poorly angled branches or to reduce potential hazards. Third, to increase light and air penetration for healthy growth.
Trees are the most valuable players in your landscape design, and you can keep them healthy by using proper pruning techniques. Photo: Benjamin Balazs/Pixabay
Routine thinning does not always improve the health of a tree. Removing large amounts of foliage all at once can put stress on a tree’s stored energy reserves, resulting in stunted growth.
Pruning should be performed in the best season for the tree to avoid potential disease and to avoid pruning just after the spring growth flush.
There should be a purpose for each cut, as each cut into a tree can change the growth of the tree for many years to come. Improper or careless pruning can cause damage over the life of the tree. It is important to know where and how to make cuts before beginning the process.
When a tree branch is cut, it compartmentalizes the wound to protect itself. A small cut does less damage than a large cut. Waiting to prune a tree until it is mature can create the need for large cuts, which can threaten the life of the entire tree. Ongoing and regular maintenance is a must.
Call on a certified arborist to maintain your trees in optimal health. Arborists are specialists trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees. They can identify and treat diseases before they spread to other trees. Find qualified professionals at the International Society of Aboriculture and the American Society of Consulting Arborists.
This article is part of a year-long series inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.
San Diego County residents continue to embrace a conservation ethic by creating beautiful, waterwise landscapes. The Vallecitos Water District reports that more District water customers are reducing their outdoor water use and adopting WaterSmart practices.
Three Vallecitos customers are the most recent examples of the landscape makeover trend, creating beautiful landscapes, and winning the regional Watersmart Landscape Contest.
Neighbors often ask the Hausmanns about their new landscaping. Doug Hausmann often shares plants and lends a hand on their projects. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Best in District winners Doug and Pam Hausmann have lived in San Diego County since 1975. They both became interested in succulents and decided to remove their sprinkler system. They now water by hand. Some of their plants get by with as little as four waterings a year.
By propagating and selling succulents, the Hausmanns raise about $1,000 a year on behalf of a nonprofit supporting a friend’s grandson affected by a rare disease. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
The Hausmanns started growing different plants from cuttings provided by neighbors, and from plants they purchased and then divided. Their success with propagation generated interest in low water use gardening among their friends and neighbors. The couple donated their propagated plants and expertise, helping neighbors to plant waterwise succulent gardens at their own homes.
The Hausmanns propagation talent helped raise money for “24 Hours for Hank,” which supports research in Cystinosis, a rare genetic disease. Cystinosis affects 500 people in the United States. Because the disease only affects a small percentage of the population, research money is scarce. By propagating and selling succulents, the Hausmanns raise about $1,000 a year for the charity on behalf of a friend’s grandson affected by Cystinosis.
The Hausmanns were selected as contest winners for their successful landscape project, for the philanthropy it generated, and for the teaching opportunity it inspired.
All three winning landscape designs provide habitat for pollinators and birds. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Tours of residential native landscapes and a visit to the Vallecitos Water District Sustainable Demonstration Garden inspired second place winner Bruce Ferguson to follow through on his desire to transform his yard into a more natural and native setting, attractive to wildlife.
Ferguson loves to see lizards, birds, and butterflies. His garden design reduces stormwater runoff and allows for more infiltration of rainwater into the ground by including two small bioswales. He added two small ponds to provide a water source for animals. After the makeover, Ferguson’s water savings range from 20% to 40% monthly.
Bruce Ferguson completed all the work himself on his landscape makeover. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Third place winner Ellen Kaplan replaced her lawn with a drought-tolerant garden to conserve water, eliminate expensive monthly landscaping, and to give her home more curb appeal.
She used a variety of palms, annuals, kangaroo paws, and succulents. She replaced the existing sprinkler system (which she admitted did a better job of watering her driveway) with a drip system providing targeted watering only where needed.
Ellen Kaplan enjoys watching hummingbirds visiting her new landscaping. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
All three winners received a gift certificate to Green Thumb Nursery in San Marcos to support their waterwise gardening adventures and a Watersmart Landscape Contest Winner sign for their front yards.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
