A federal plan to spend $210 million on water conservation programs includes $40 million for “conserving 500,000+ acre-feet of water over the next two years to stabilize the decline of Lake Mead.”
The plan also includes $10 million for efforts to suppress wildfires in the West.
Extreme drought in California is forcing drastic measures on the 200,000 residents in Marin County. They have been told to cut their water usage to just 55 gallons a day.
A 10-minute shower uses about 25 gallons. A load of laundry uses 40 gallons of water. A single sprinkler head can spray out 15 gallons per minute.
The new restrictions mean no refilling swimming pools or fountains. Residents can’t wash their car in their driveways, and outdoor irrigation is prohibited.
More than 130 people took advantage of a drought-tolerant plant giveaway program offered by the Fallbrook Public Utility District. Since picking up their free succulents in November, homeowners have started their drought-tolerant home garden projects.
Participants were provided empty flats and invited to select from an assortment of three-inch potted succulents to suit their needs. Each person took home approximately 28 plants.
More than 130 Fallbrook residents could take advantage of the giveaway program. Photo: Fallbrook Public Utility District
The hardy, brightly colored succulents help people transform their landscaping by replacing thirsty plants and turf. Drought-tolerant plants ease the workload of gardening and add beautiful color while also saving water.
The program was made possible thanks to grant funding from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The plants were sourced locally from Silverthorn Nursery, which uses FPUD’s recycled water to irrigate.
Homeowner Peggy Hanne sent in a photo of her freshly planted succulents. Photo: Fallbrook Public Utility District
“Thank you for the plants. They are doing really well,” said homeowner Peggy Hanne, who proudly shared a photo of her transformed garden.
Maryanne Polyascko, a retired Fallbrook teacher, said she was so grateful for the plants and having less weed-pulling, watering, and gardening to do.
Maryanne Polyascko takes her free succulents home. Photo: Fallbrook Public Utility District
Other homeowners reported using the plants to protect their properties.
“I planted them to stabilize the ground behind my house from erosion,” said Mike Osborne. “I filled in all the areas that were devoid of vegetation.”
In addition to being drought-tolerant, succulents are also considered a smart choice in wildfire-prone areas. San Diego-based author and horticulturalist Debra Lee Baldwin is an expert on succulent gardens and recommends their use as a firebreak. While the plants alone won’t save a home from burning, “Surrounding a house with water-filled plants can serve as one more weapon in a homeowner’s arsenal against wildfire,” writes Baldwin.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District will be eligible again in two years to apply for more grant funding to offer another plant giveaway.
(Editor’s note: The Fallbrook Public Utility District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Four talented San Diego County student artists from the region’s schools are among 37 Southern California students whose artwork will appear in the 2022 “Water Is Life” Student Art Calendar.
Produced by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the “Water is Life” Student Art Calendar showcases student artwork with imaginative water conservation and water resource stewardship messages. Students in grades K-12 submit artwork through participating member agencies after winning their local competition.
The four regional winners were invited to participate in a virtual award ceremony for all students, their families, and teachers to honor their achievements on December 6.
MWD Board Chairwoman Gloria D. Gray told the students, “We’re amazed every year at the beautiful artwork we receive with moving messages that compel us to cherish and protect our precious water supplies. Every day next year, this calendar will remind us how precious water is. In your artwork, I see the future generation of leaders. You have the power to bring about change.”
Third-grade student Lucas Regimbal is the youngest representative from San Diego County in the “Water Is Life” 2022 calendar. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Third-grader Lucas Regimbal from Christ Lutheran La Mesa School in Helix Water District explained his message. “I think there are so many big things to do to save water and conserve. But there are also many little things we can do as well. A lot of little things come up to some very big things. By fixing drips, each home or business can save hundreds of gallons of water per year. That means a lot if lots of families and business did this one little thing.”
Eighth-grade student Isabella Blakely brought drip irrigation to life as a symbol of conservation. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
An eighth-grader at Eastlake Middle School in the Otay Water District, Isabella Blakely took inspiration from the drip irrigation in her backyard garden at home.
“My family has always conserved water,” said Blakely. “We have a drip irrigation system in our backyard. I’ve always had a love for plants and animals. I wanted to show that through my drawing by drawing a plant.”
Yaricia Hernandez used a bold caption to call attention to her artwork’s message. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Yaricia Hernandez, a fourth-grader at Rio Seco School in the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, turned the Earth into a water spigot running dry. Her bold graphic caption for the 2022 calendar reads, “No Water, No Plants, No Oxygen, No Life.”
Sidney Shatwell illustrated good health practices that rely on safe, clean water. Photo: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Fifth-grade student Sidney Shatwell at Allen Elementary School represented Sweetwater Authority with her artwork depicting the critical importance of water in everyday good health practices such as brushing your teeth, washing your hands, and staying hydrated.
Adel Hagekhalil, MWD general manager, praised the efforts of the student artists.
“I’m so grateful seeing the work you have done and how you’re sending the message. Our future is in good hands with you,” said Hagekhalil. “Thank you for leading the way in making our future for water resilient, sustainable, and affordable for everyone. It was a bright day when I looked at your pictures.”
The “Water is Life” Student Art Calendar was initially created 33 years ago. It curates student art submitted from grades K through 12, carrying a vital conservation message about the importance of water.
For the 2022 calendar, 216 entries were submitted by 26 regional water agencies. The annual calendar is distributed to 13,000 recipients each year.
(Editor’s note: The Helix Water District, Otay Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District and the Sweetwater Authority, are four of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Federal authorities have moved to reverse a Trump administration decision that cleared the way for Cadiz Inc. to pipe water across public land in the California desert.
The request filed in federal court Friday, which must still be granted, could deal a blow to the company’s decades-long effort to pump groundwater from beneath its desert property 200 miles east of Los Angeles and sell it to urban Southern California. The project is fiercely opposed by conservationists, who say it will dry up desert springs and seeps relied upon by Indigenous tribes and rare wildlife. Cadiz insists its plans won’t harm springs in the area.
The Central Arizona Project’s governing board took the first steps Thursday toward approving Arizona’s share of a plan to save a half-million acre-feet a year of Colorado River water in order to prop up ailing Lake Mead.
The plan, adopted unanimously by the board, calls for Arizona users of the river water — mostly those on CAP supplies — to shoulder more than 40% of that total, or 223,000 acre-feet in 2022. The cuts are all supposed to be voluntary and temporary, and to be compensated by either state or federal money, totalling $100 million a year for the entire conservation program.
The rainy season can be a mixed blessing.
If your home garden landscape is well designed to maximize rainwater storage, then rain is a blessing. If your landscape is poorly designed, or has too much impervious surfaces, then rain can be a curse.
Whatever your situation, however, take heart! Small adjustments can be made to prepare for the next storm, though some projects will take longer and require work done in the dry season.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is urging nearly 3 million water customers throughout the Bay Area to cut water usage by 10%, as it declares a water shortage emergency due to the ongoing drought.
“With California still experiencing devastating drought and the uncertainty around this rainy season, we need to make tough decisions that will ensure that our water source continues to be reliable and dependable for the future,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement Tuesday.
A profound reduction in the Colorado River water earmarked for Arizona’s crops has at last triggered the rationing that irrigation farmers have dreaded. The Tier 1 shortage will prompt a 512,000-acre-foot reduction in Arizona’s Colorado River deliveries.
That amounts to about 30% of Central Arizona Project’s normal supply. Extrapolating from University of Arizona studies, it will result in a decrease of about $100 million in farmgate sales, and much more if the indirect effects are fully factored in.
The rainy season is in full swing. When we talk about the rainy season, there’s a checklist that the County of San Diego wants you to remember because stormwater pollution is a major problem here.
“While you’re looking at your property and your home and your world, you should do everything we can to keep pollutants off of the streets, off of our curbs and gutters, out of our storm drains and out of our local waterways,” said Stephanie Gaines, the Program Coordinator for the County of San Diego.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
