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Water Conservation Garden Growing Strong With New #FreeDayFriday Program

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In a normal year, The Water Conservation Garden in east San Diego County provides resources and education for 88,000 children and families annually. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, meeting the Garden’s mission took a little extra effort and creativity.

To remain open after its initial closure and re-opening in June 2020, the Garden now charges a small admission fee. Thanks to the new #FreeDayFriday initiative, supported by a donation match through the Rice Family Foundation, more than $60,000 in contributions now allows the Garden to offer free admission on the second Friday of each month, starting February 12.

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Water Conservation Garden-#FreeDayFriday-conservation

Water Conservation Garden Growing Strong With New #FreeDayFriday Program

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In a normal year, The Water Conservation Garden in east San Diego County provides resources and education for 88,000 children and families annually. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, meeting the Garden’s mission took a little extra effort and creativity.

To remain open after its initial closure and re-opening in June 2020, the Garden now charges a small admission fee. Thanks to the new #FreeDayFriday initiative, supported by a donation match through the Rice Family Foundation, more than $60,000 in contributions now allows the Garden to offer free admission on the second Friday of each month, starting February 12.

“We can now create #FreeDayFriday so every person in the community, no matter their ability to pay, can enjoy all the Garden has to offer,” said Jennifer Pillsbury, Water Conservation Garden executive director and CEO.

The Garden continues operations under safety modifications

Outdoor fitness classes including yoga are popular at The Garden. Photo: The Garden

Outdoor fitness classes including yoga are popular at The Garden. Photo: The Garden

Since its reopening to the public on June 16, the Garden continues to offer programs with modifications under California health and safety guidelines due to the pandemic, including limiting visitor admissions and requiring masks.

The Garden’s series of fitness and wellness programs remain on site, including outdoor bodyweight workout classes and yoga sessions. Classes take place mornings and evenings, including a family yoga program for kids. The full schedule is available on the Garden’s new website.

Pam Meisner, AKA Ms Smarty Plants, offers The Garden's elementary school education program virtually. Photo: The Garden (screenshot)

Pam Meisner, AKA Ms. Smarty Plants, offers the Garden’s elementary school education program virtually. Photo: The Water Conservation Garden

The Garden’s elementary school education program featuring Ms. Smarty Plants is now available online for grades K-2 and 3-6, including full lesson plans and video. Safely distanced Family Field Trips are also available for schools, homeschool groups, and individual classes.

“Our garden, not only is it an educational site, but we have classes that coincide with how to make what you see at our garden happens, where to buy the supplies, and how to do it,” said Pam Meisner, director of operations and education and founder of the Ms. Smarty Plants program. “We are the go-to place in San Diego for sowing beauty with low water use plants.”

“We can’t survive without water. But people don’t value that. One of our reasons being here is to show them the value of water and make that part of your life,” added Meisner.

Classes on sustainability, gardening, and art are currently offered online. Professional one-on-one phone or video consultations on water harvesting, and how to set up, retrofit, and maintain your irrigation or landscape are available by reservation through the website at thegarden.org/consultations

To support the Garden through the ongoing #FreeDayFriday program, visit FreeDayFridays.org.

A task force of water agencies and municipalities conceived the Water Conservation Garden in response to six years of drought in San Diego County.

Otay Water District, Helix Water District, and Cuyamaca College kick-started the effort in 1990. By 1992, the San Diego County Water Authority, City of San Diego, and Padre Municipal Water District joined the effort, forming the original Water Conservation Authority.

The following year, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District approved the establishment of a 4.5-acre Water Conservation Garden adjacent to Cuyamaca College.

Helix Water District Demonstration Landscape Blossoms

/in , /by /Water News Network

The plants are thriving at Helix Water District’s demonstration landscape just eight months after the project was completed. The WaterSmart plants at the District’s administration office in La Mesa beautify the neighorhood while inspiring people to install sustainable, WaterSmart landscaping.

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Soil Probe Tips for Success

/in , /by /Water News Network

Knowing how to use a soil probe as an important soil management tool will support your effort to create a healthy, thriving landscape full of beautiful plants. You need to first know as much as possible about your soil to understand your irrigation needs. Irrigation is critical to keep your landscaping green and growing. But more isn’t better. One way to easily gauge your landscape’s needs is to use the Jar Test.

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Irrigation-Soil-roots-Conservation Corner your plants, use a soil probe. Photo: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels soil probe tips

Soil Probe Tips for Success

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Knowing how to use a soil probe as an important soil management tool will support your effort to create a healthy, thriving landscape full of beautiful plants.

You need to first know as much as possible about your soil to understand your irrigation needs. Irrigation is critical to keep your landscaping green and growing. But more isn’t better. One way to easily gauge your landscape’s needs is to use the Jar Test.

Another helpful tool is a soil probe. A soil probe lets you determine a lot more information about the soils in your landscaping. It will give you information about whether your irrigation is successfully reaching the roots of your plants, or even if it soaks in too deep past the reach of plant roots.

If you don’t understand your individual soil profile, you can’t plan effective irrigation. When there is variability in the conditions across your landscape, you may have different types of soils from one area to another or from a surface layer of soil to a deeper layer.

A good soil probe will help you figure out when your irrigation water has reached the right depth for the plants in your landscaping. It is a simple process with the right tools.

How to use your soil probe

Use a soil probe to test how well irrigation dispenses into your landscape. Photo: Courtesy University of Florida/Creative Commons soil probe tips

Use a soil probe to test how well irrigation dispenses into your landscape. Photo: University of Florida/Creative Commons

When your soil is moist, a soil probe should go into the ground easily, without a lot of effort. Your soil probe will stop when it hits hard, dry dirt, and won’t go further. But your soil probe could also be hitting rock, so you may want to reposition it just a few inches away and try again.

If you are confident you’ve hit only dry soil, put your fingers around the probe at the soil surface, and pull it out. Measure the depth in inches to learn how deep your irrigation will penetrate into the soil.

To properly irrigate your plants, understand the depth of their roots. Trees send their roots much deeper into the soil than shrubs, and shrubs have deeper roots than bedding plants like annual and perennial flowers or vegetables.

Most plants will do fine as long as the top foot of soil (12 inches) is filled with water when you irrigate. Shrubs should be irrigated to a depth of two feet (24 inches), and trees irrigated to a depth of three feet (36 inches).

You can purchase a soil probe at any general hardware store or gardening center. A basic soil probe costs between $30 and $80, but there are high-tech probes costing up to $300.

To learn more about your soil, sign up for Soil & Site Assessments virtual workshop.

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.

City of Oceanside-Pure Water Oceanside-water recycling

Pure Water Oceanside Project Reaches Milestones

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Pure Water Oceanside construction remains on schedule for completion in 2022, with several significant milestones recently completed. The Oceanside project will purify recycled water to create a new, local source of high-quality drinking water that is safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound.

“Construction has impacted many residents and businesses,” said Cari Dale, City of Oceanside water utilities director. “Please know the City of Oceanside appreciates your patience. We thank people for understanding the need for this project and bearing with us during these months of construction impacts. This work is temporary, but the benefits will last for generations.”

Pure Water Oceanside Project foundation walls in place

Now under construction, Pure Water Oceanside will purify recycled water to create a new, local source of high-quality drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. Photo: Jeremy Kemp, City of Oceanside

Now under construction, the project will purify recycled water to create a new, local source of high-quality drinking water that is safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. Photo: Jeremy Kemp/City of Oceanside

The foundational work on the facility located in the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility is complete. Pipelines, electrical conduits, equipment pads/pedestals, and wet wells have been constructed. Prefabricated walls have been installed. Installing the roof and additional wall stabilizing are next on the schedule.

The water purification equipment including pumps, membrane filters, and reverse osmosis canisters are currently being manufactured. Delivery is anticipated between this summer and fall.

Coco Farms Drive and Fireside Park construction update

Work on the south side of Coco Palms Drive near the El Camino Real intersection begins this month. Parking in the area will be closed during this work period with "no parking" signs posted. Map: City of Oceanside

Work on the south side of Coco Palms Drive near the El Camino Real intersection begins this month. Parking in the area will be closed during this work period with “no parking” signs posted. Graphic: City of Oceanside

The two injection wells on Coco Palms Drive are complete. Sound walls will be removed. Construction on two planned monitoring wells is anticipated to begin within the next two months. Sound walls will be installed prior to extended hours construction into evenings and weekends to reduce the impact on the community.

Coco Palms Drive will continue to be closed for the next few months while pipeline construction is underway.

Work on the south side of Coco Palms Drive near the El Camino Real intersection begins this month. Parking in the area will be closed during this work period with “no parking” signs posted.

Monitoring well work in Fireside Park will take place primarily during the daytime, with possible evening and weekend work for critical activities. Sound walls will be installed to reduce noise. Drilling and development is estimated to take six weeks.

El Camino Real recycled water expansion pipeline work coming soon

An overhead look at pipeline installation along Douglas Drive in Oceanside for Pure Water Oceanside project. Photo: Jeremy Kemp, City of Oceanside

An overhead look at pipeline installation along Douglas Drive in Oceanside for Pure Water Oceanside. Photo: Jeremy Kemp/City of Oceanside

Pipeline installation work will begin soon to install recycled water pipelines under El Camino Real. Traffic delays are expected and alternative routes are suggested.

Cones will be set up in work zones to redirect traffic from closed lanes and flagger workers will help drivers safely navigate intersections. Regular working hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with occasional work on Saturdays.

Work at the Mission Avenue and El Camino Real intersection will be at night to reduce commuter traffic impacts. Work hours will be from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Oceanside Project benefits both residents and environment

Construction personnel guide reverse osmosis skids into place. Photo: Jeremy Kemp, City of Oceanside

Construction personnel guide reverse osmosis skids into place. Photo: Jeremy Kemp/City of Oceanside

Approximately 90% of Oceanside’s drinking water is imported. Pure Water Oceanside will create three to five million gallons of drinking water each day, enough water to provide 32% of the City of Oceanside’s water supply.

The water purification process uses reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation to create safe drinking water. The technology removes pharmaceuticals, chemicals, hormones, microplastics, and personal care products.

The project protects sensitive ecosystems by reducing the amount of water siphoned by imported water sources. It decreases the amount of recycled water discharged into the ocean, and uses half the energy needed to transport imported water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Residents are kept up to date on construction impacts to streets and other infrastructure through several outreach efforts including an interactive construction map, detailed online schedule, regular newsletters, and virtual open house presentations live on the City of Oceanside’s YouTube channel, offering residents the opportunity to ask questions.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD Begins the New Year by Connecting a Local Neighborhood to Recycled Water

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District has connected the newly developing Santa Fe Heights neighborhood to
its recycled water system, supplying the community with locally produced recycled water.
“We are excited to see another neighborhood begin using recycled water for irrigation,” said OMWD Board Secretary Ed
Sprague. “Using recycled water is key for long-term sustainability of our water supply.”

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Oxygen, Water, and Life Create Healthy Landscape Soil

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Your landscaping soil needs three things to feed the billions of microbes within it to transform brick-hard, lifeless dirt into healthy, living soil sponges: oxygen, water, and life. Think OWL to remember these important, interconnected factors.

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Set yourself up for landscaping success by building the best foundation in your soil structure. Photo: walkersalmanac/Pixabay healthy soil

Oxygen, Water, and Life Create Healthy Landscape Soil

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Your landscaping soil needs three things to feed the billions of microbes within it to transform brick-hard, lifeless dirt into healthy, living soil sponges: oxygen, water, and life. Think OWL to remember these important, interconnected factors.

Oxygen lets microbes breathe free

Oxygen is needed by healthy plant roots and soil organisms. Healthy soil has lots of tiny little pockets of air. When soils are eroded, graded, or disturbed, their structure becomes compacted and hard. Compaction takes place when tiny air and water bubbles are squeezed out of the soil. This kills the healthy microbes working to keep your soil replenished. Microbes can be killed by fertilizers, pesticides, or even heavy traffic from people or vehicles. 

Water for your microbes and plants

Microbes and plans both need water to live. But too much water in your soil will displace oxygen, saturating the soil. This creates an anaerobic condition. It is the unhealthy microbes like bacteria, viruses, or parasites that prefer anaerobic soil. If this condition persists, diseases may develop. They will endanger the health of your garden.

Water is constantly moving through the soil. Water in the soil needs to be replenished as plants use it, as it evaporates from the soil surface, and as gravity pulls it down past the root zone of your plants.

Bring your soil to life

The microbes consume organic matter, and then they are consumed by bigger creatures (worms, ants, slugs, centipedes, larvae, etc.). They are consumed in turn by creatures further up nature’s food chain. Photo: Malcolm Fowles, Wikipedia

The microbes consume organic matter, and then they are consumed by bigger creatures (worms, ants, slugs, centipedes, larvae, etc.). They are consumed in turn by creatures further up nature’s food chain. Photo: Malcolm Fowles, Wikipedia

Life in the soil includes all the bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi, the food they eat, the excretions they make, and the root systems they sustain. Living microbes are most quickly incorporated into your soil by adding high-quality compost.

Plants attract microbes to their roots by feeding them carbon. Bacteria and fungi hold the soil together with microscopic glues and binders. The microbes consume organic matter, and then they are consumed by bigger creatures (worms, ants, slugs, centipedes, larvae, etc.). They are consumed in turn by creatures further up nature’s food chain.

Carbon and other nutrients cycle through these many life forms, creating healthy living soil, no matter what the soil type.

Without any of these elements, your landscaping will not thrive. Organic matter, planning and some labor may be involved, but creating healthy soil using the OWL method –  Oxygen, Water and Life – will pay off in reduced maintenance, reduced inputs, reduced pollution on land and in our waterways, and the beauty of your thriving, healthy landscape.

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.

 

Opinion: A Desalination Skeptic Now Sees Carlsbad Plant’s “Undeniable Value”

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Cori Schumacher Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

It is no secret that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant when it was proposed, and I still wasn’t completely on board when the plant began operations in 2015, or even when I was elected to the Carlsbad City Council in 2016.

But time has given me perspective, and I recognize now that the value that the Carlsbad Desalination Plant provides our region is undeniable.

We are now celebrating the plant’s fifth anniversary since operations began. In that time, I’ve seen firsthand how the Carlsbad Desalination Plant benefits our city and the entire San Diego region, given it has produced more than 65 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water. To put that in perspective, that is enough water to fill the Rose Bowl in Pasadena all the way to its brim nearly 200 times!

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