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Opinion: Happy New Water Year — Californians Have to Face Some Difficult Wet Season Truths

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times by Peter Gleick

Happy New Water Year. For those of us who work on California water challenges, the start of the new year isn’t Jan. 1; it’s Oct. 1, the official beginning of the state’s wet season. This is the time of year we start to look out over the Pacific for the storms we hope will bring life-giving precipitation, replenishing our rivers and streams, coating our mountains with snow, refilling our reservoirs and recharging our soils, forests, wetlands and groundwater.

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Calif. Regulators Buckle Up for the Potential of 0% Water Allocation for 2022

/in , , /by /The San Joaquin Valley Sunby The San Joaquin Valley Sun Staff

California’s reservoirs are so dry from a historic drought that regulators warned Thursday it’s possible the state’s water agencies won’t get anything from them next year, a frightening possibility that could force mandatory restrictions for residents. This year, unusually hot, dry conditions caused nearly 80% of that water to either evaporate or be absorbed into the parched soil — part of a larger drought that has emptied reservoirs and led to cuts for farmers across the western United States. It caught sate officials by surprise as California now enters the rainy season with reservoirs at their lowest level ever.

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The Colorado River is in Crisis. The Walton Family is Pushing a Solution.

/in , , /by /The Wall Street Journalby Scott Patterson

The first-ever official shortage on the Colorado River has intensified a debate over how to provide water for 40 million people across the Southwest and irrigate fields of thirsty crops like wheat, cotton and alfalfa. Few voices outside government are more influential than that of the Walton family, billionaire heirs to the Walmart Inc. fortune, who have long advocated water markets as a key part to solving the region’s woes. But some environmental groups say the Waltons drown out other, nonmarket approaches.

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California Will Consider Mandatory Water Restrictions if Dryness Continues This Winter

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

With California’s extreme drought persisting and reservoirs declining to new lows, state officials said they will consider imposing mandatory water restrictions if dryness continues this winter. Gov. Gavin Newsom called on Californians in July to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%, saying state water regulators would track progress toward that target and decide whether additional measures would be necessary.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD to Host Free Native Plant Virtual Workshop on October 14

/in , /by

Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District invites the public to attend a free virtual workshop on landscaping with native plants on October 14, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The workshop is designed for individuals who are interested in incorporating native plants in their gardens to increase water efficiency and support local ecology.

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This Is How Much Rain California Needs to Get Out of the Drought

/in , , /by /SF Gateby Amy Graff

With California starved for water amid dire drought conditions, there’s a lot of hope that the upcoming winter will deliver plentiful rain and snow.

But exactly how much precipitation is needed to pull the state out of a drought?

The California Department of Water Resources, the state agency that manages drought responset, has answered that question with a model from the U.S. Geological Survey.

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Drought Expected to Persist in Much of the Western US Through 2022 and Beyond, According to NOAA Report

/in , , /by /ABC Newsby Daniel Manzo

The thirst for water in the Western U.S. will likely not be quenched in the near future.

Drought conditions are expected to persist in the West, which is already amid a decades-long megadrought, through 2022 and beyond, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s drought outlook.

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California Rice Harvest Impacted By Drought After Farmers Slashed Plantings 20%

/in , , /by /ABC10by Luke Cleary

Another year of drought means another year of reduced harvest for California rice. Farmers slashed planting by 20% in the spring due to water shortages, which amounts to about 100,000 acres of idle rice fields.

“We don’t want to be cut any more than people want to be told how they can treat their back lawn or anything like that,” said farmer Tom Butler.

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Livermore City Council Sets Mandatory Watering Limits

/in , , /by /East Bay Timesby George Kelly

Residents and property owners must now follow immediate citywide changes to watering and irrigation in the wake of this week’s City Council water shortage emergency declaration.

According to a city release, the council’s declaration Monday night goes into effect immediately and is intended to limit water use by 15 percent compared to last year, in part by limiting landscaping to three times a week at most.

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Inspect your sprinkler heads regularly to make sure they are not obstructed or watering onto pavement or other hardscapes. Photo: Irrigation Association

Give Your Irrigation System a Fall Checkup

/in , /by

Staying on top of your irrigation system – especially in the midst of a drought – can mean the difference between maximizing your water efficiency and unknowingly wasting water running down sidewalks unused into the storm drain. Follow these tips for a thorough checkup.

Turn on each valve of your irrigation system and observe how quickly water begins to run off your landscaping. Note the time when each runoff occurs. For some systems, this could be immediate. For others, it may take as long as five minutes.

Make sure spray irrigation is never running for longer than eight minutes at any one time.

Take notes on your irrigation plan, and turn off your irrigation until you can fix the following issues:

  • Do you have broken sprinkler heads?
  • Are there heads that are blocked by plants or objects such as planters or lights?
  • When the system turns off, does water come out of the lowest heads in the landscape?
  • Are any heads in need of adjustment, so they don’t directly spay onto the hardscape, such as sidewalks or patios?

Adjust your sprinklers to eliminate runoff

Don't allow your spriinklers to overspray your landscaping and waste water. Photo: Wikimedia irrigation tips

Don’t allow your sprinklers to overspray your landscaping and waste water. Photo: Wikimedia

Several things can be done to minimize runoff due to irrigation. This is among the most important factors in using irrigation efficiently.

  • Tune up spray irrigation systems, so there is no overspray on hard surfaces
  • Do not install spray irrigation in areas that are too narrow (generally eight feet wide or narrower)
  • Move spray heads 24 inches away from buildings or impermeable surfaces
  • Convent spray systems to micro or drip irrigation with pressure regulation and a filter
  • In lawn areas, be sure to follow the organic maintenance practices to keep your soil ‘spongy’ (link to soil post)
  • Replace standard overhead sprayers with high-efficiency rotator nozzles, or other types of low precipitation rate nozzles

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.