Tag Archive for: Conservation

As the Drought Persists, Here’s How Phoenix is Prepared

/in , /by /AZ Big Media

Water is a precious resource in a desert city like Phoenix. Community members understand the importance of water conservation to keep the city thriving. Unlike other areas in the southwest, Phoenix is not in a water shortage. While the drought is serious, Phoenix is prepared.

Over 20 years into the current drought, Phoenix continues to have access to several water supplies, including Salt, Verde, and Colorado River, groundwater reserves, and reclaimed wastewater for crops and sustainable activities. Investments in infrastructure, strategic and innovative planning on behalf of city leaders, and long-standing water conservation programs are just some of the reasons why water supplies in Phoenix will remain in good shape.

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Opinion: State Restrictions Reflect Urgent Need to Conserve Water

/in , , /by /The Mercury News

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.

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NorCal Conservationists Float Emergency Water Plan To Save Salmon

/in , /by /JPRby Sydney Dauphinais

After years of drought, salmon in Northern California are facing extinction. Conservation groups in the region have drafted a water management plan that, if adopted, would send less water to Central Valley farmers and keep more cold water for fish.

Last week, fishery advocates in Northern California submitted their temperature management plan to the State Water Resources Control Board. They want to change water operations in the Shasta, Trinity, Sacramento and Lower Klamath Rivers so the region’s salmon runs have enough cold water to survive.

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San Francisco Water Use Has Declined Since Last Drought — What Else Can You Do to Conserve?

/in , , /by /SF Newsby Jay Barmann

We’re once again going to be having conversations this summer about water use, and hearing about ever more strict mandates coming down from counties and the state about what we use water for. But is San Francisco’s household water use really the problem?

The drought is bad, and it’s getting worse. A big swath of the Bay Area was just put in the “exceptional” drought tier last week by the U.S. Drought Monitor, and the rest of the Bay Area is in the second-worst or “extreme” drought category, along with about three-quarters of California.

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San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Gets $10,000 Grant From REI

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Linda Mcintosh

The nonprofit San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy received a $10,000 grant for its Next to Nature program (N2N) from the REI Co-op. The program shows residents how to create sustainable landscapes that are beneficial for the environment. To show people how to develop eco-beneficial areas around their homes or businesses, the conservancy is working with locally based production company Condor Visual Media to put out six free webinars focusing on Landscape Site Design, Sustainable Gardening, Urban Green Infrastructure, Wildfire Risk Reduction, Water Management and Conservation and Landscape Material and Energy Management.

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Enjoy Urban Farming While Being Water Smart

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Many San Diego County native plants and herbs have fruits and leaves you can harvest. They can be mixed into any climate-appropriate planting design. You don’t have to be a farmer to grow and enjoy them in your sustainable landscaping.

For the health of your urban farming crops, consider employing organic growing methods including sheet mulching and integrated pest management. This will ensure the health of your soil, your crops, and the people who eventually eat and enjoy them.

Check local drought ordinances in your area to confirm watering schedules permitted for edibles, which may be more flexible during the most active growing period. Because the San Diego region has a mild, warm climate throughout the year, you can plant most fruiting trees just about any time of the year. Citrus trees generally do best in our area when planted in May or June, but it is possible to plant them earlier or later in the year as long as there is no nighttime frost.

Arrange the urban farming area in your landscaping to take advantage of their irrigation needs in a designated area. If the rest of the landscaping is using minimal water, you can spare extra irrigation for your fruits and vegetables in their specific zone. For all landscaping, irrigate with the most efficient system possible.

Fruitful trees to enjoy

Fruit trees, especially citrus, thrive in San Diego County’s climates with just a little bit of care. The Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) is a good choice with spectacular blooms. Photo: WIkimedia/Creative Commons License Edible Plants climate zone

Fruit trees, especially citrus, thrive in San Diego County’s climates with just a little bit of care. The Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) is a good choice with spectacular blooms. Photo: Wikimedia/Creative Commons License

Fruit trees, especially citrus, thrive in San Diego’s regional climate zones with a  little bit of care. Top choices include:

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Chinese Date (Ziziphus jujuba)

Santa Rosa Plum (Prunus salicina)

Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana)

Improved Meyer Lemon (Citrus “Improved Meyer”)

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.

Arizona Lawmakers Float Idea of Piping Water From The Mississippi River

/in , , /by /KJZZby Ron Dungan

The drought has some members of the Arizona Legislature wondering if the state should look for a new source of water: the Mississippi River. Conservationists wonder if lawmakers should try a different approach. As Arizona braces for a drought contingency plan to kick in, the Legislature has floated the idea of damming the Mississippi and piping the water here. The idea received overwhelming support among lawmakers, though it is unclear if the project is viable. Sandy Bahr, with the Sierra Club, told KJZZ’s The Show last month the state needs to adjust its thinking about water, especially in times of drought.

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The Desert Museum Palo Verde tree is an ideal low water use choice for Southern California landscaping. Photo: Danielle Bardgette/Creative Commons-Flickr trees

Waterwise Tree Choices for Watersmart Landscaping

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Trees are the single most valuable addition to your waterwise landscaping. Trees create improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. They also improve air quality and provide habitat for insects, birds, and animals. Healthy, mature trees are so beneficial, they can add an average of 10% to a property’s overall value.

When thoughtfully placed around buildings, the cooling and insulation created by a tree’s canopy can reduce air conditioning needs by 30%, and can save 20-to-50% of the energy used for heating.

Before you choose landscaping trees, research their size at maturity. When you first purchase it, it’s in a 15- or 25-gallon container and it’s hard to imagine it growing above your roofline. But a small tree can become a 30-foot tall tree with a 30-foot wide canopy of branches in a few short years. If you select a large tree species, it could be 70 feet tall and equally as wide.

Ensure tree placement gives you a sufficient distance away from your home or other structures. Small trees (30 feet wide or less at maturity) should be placed no closer than 10 feet. Large trees (70 feet wide or more at maturity) should be planted no closer than 20 feet from a house.

Top waterwise tree choices

The Desert Willow is an ideal tree for its size, flowers, and waterwise nature. Photo: Pixabay

Which trees are the best waterwise choices for the San Diego region? These are five proven favorites.

Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)

Desert Museum Palo Verde (Parkinsonia ‘Desert Museum’)

California Redbud (Cercis occidentalis)

Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamus floribundus)

Hybrid Strawberry Tree (Arbutus ‘Manna’)

Consider large shrubs as alternative choices

Large shrubs can be smart alternatives for screening unwanted views. Be considerate of the viewshed of your neighborhood. Will the shrubs block a special view for others?

Several best choices of waterwise small  trees and shrubs for screening

California lilac (Ceanothus) is a native plant to San Diego County and produces spectacular blooms in early spring. Photo: Wikimedia

California lilac (Ceanothus) is a native plant to San Diego County and produces spectacular blooms in early spring. Photo: Wikimedia

Catalina Cherry (Prunus iliofolia ssp. Lyonii)

Pacific Was Myrtle (Myrica california)

Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana)

Tecate Cypress (Cuppressus forbesii)

California Mountain Lilac (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’)

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.

Advancing Oceanside: Water Use Efficiency & Conservation

/in , , /by /Patch.comby Lisa Frost Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

 This week’s episode of the Advancing Oceanside Podcast from the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce features the San Diego County Water Authority on Water Use Efficiency & Conservation.

Oceanside Chamber host, Hana Gilbert interviews Water Resources Manager Elizabeth Lovsted and Water Resources Specialist Joni German.

Topics included how the SDCWA has saved water by providing programs and incentives, utilizing water-saving devices, advocating for water regulations, and how simply living “WaterSmart”, can help cuts costs and create energy-efficient, water-conscious yards.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 2020 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner Laura Lisauskas redid her family’s street-facing sloped side yard. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Protect Your Hillsides and Slopes 

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San Diego County features many native canyons, and many homes are located in proximity to a native canyon. Native canyon hillsides near your home should not be disturbed. The more you can adapt your home’s landscaping to Nature’s landscaping, the healthier and more low maintenance it will be.

Your home may have been built on canyon slopes leveled or filled. When planting in previously disturbed or built slopes and hillsides, choose low-water use plants and trees, especially deep-rooted native plant species. Climate-appropriate plants with strong root structures are the best choices. Their powerful root systems can help hold your soil together.

Coarse compost and mulch can be applied directly to hillside and slope surfaces, providing protection from the force of rainfall and shading exposed soils, if your slope is gentle with a 33% grade or less. With occasional and gentle irrigation, mulch will “knit” together.

Compost blankets are another type of erosion control mat applied to the soil surface to protect and preserve it. They can be used alone, with coir mats or other organic-engineered material with biodegradable grids for stabilization. Mats allow water to penetrate through to the underlying soils while retaining loose soil and debris, preventing erosion. You can plant right through them, or use pre-seeded products.

Irrigation tips to help preserve hillsides

Be sure your irrigation plan takes into account hills and slopes to prevent wasting water and erosion. Photo: Pixabay

Prepping Hillside for planting

When preparing a hillside for planting, plan your irrigation before doing any work. Low-volume rotating spray heads are ideal for sloped areas, if the space is large and the groundcover is uniform. Inline emitter drip tubing can also be effective, especially for wider-spaced shrubs and trees.

Water can be applied in repeated short periods over the course of 24 hours so it can be fully absorbed between application times. Runoff, erosion, and efficient deep watering should be factored into all landscaping plans, but especially for hillsides.

NOTE: When using a drip irrigation system, emitters should be placed above the plant basin. Spray systems should have check valves in all lower heads to avoid low point runoff. Irrigation for the top of the slope and bottom of the slope should be on separate valves.

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.