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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 03 - Summer 2008T H E O T A Y W ATER DISTRICT t P R OUDLY SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y AND TH E S OUTH B AY SINC E 1956 SUMMER2 0 0 8 A NE W SLE T T E R FOR CUS T O M E R S OF T HE O TA Y WA TER DISTRICT Southern California is faced with signifi- cant cuts in water supplies from North- ern California in the foreseeable future and diminishing levels of water storage around California. “Our water supplies are being cut, and we need everyone to pull together and save more water immediately,” said Fern Steiner, the San Diego County Water Authority Board Chair. You may have noticed new conservation advertising around the county these past couple months. “This campaign is de- signed to make people aware that these cutbacks have created a serious and very real water problem, and to let them know that they can make a big difference in the reliability of our water supply by taking immediate steps now to reduce waste and improve water efficiency,” Steiner said. “If we fail to take action, we risk squandering our diminishing supplies and putting the quality of life for our region’s 3 million residents and our $157 billion economy in jeopardy.” The state’s water supplies remain im-pacted by a combination of dry conditions and pumping restrictions. Despite storm activity early in 2008, rain and snow levels around most of the state fell to below-average levels in March through June. Meanwhile, based on environmental concerns, court-or- dered pumping restrictions on water sup- plies from Northern California have been in place since December 2007. These restrictions have cut deliveries to the State Water Project by more than 465,000 acre-feet so far this year – enough water to meet the annual needs of more than 3.6 million Californians. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the region’s primary water importer, plans to meet this year’s water demands by withdrawing water from reservoirs and groundwater storage accounts. However, they are also calling for extraordinary conservation measures. For instance, supply constraints have prompted the MWD to order a 30 percent cut in water supplies to farmers and growers subscribing to its Interruptible Agricultural Water Program as provided by contract terms. The agricultural water use cut went into effect January 1, 2008 and affects about 5,000 growers and other agricultural customers in San Diego County. As a result, many of the region’s farmers and growers have begun stumping trees or taking other steps to cut production. These actions will have a ripple effect on jobs and on our local economy. Economically, less supply and high demand is making water purchases more expensive. Higher energy prices are also adding to the cost because we must pump this water hundreds of miles to Southern California. Combined, these are factors which will effect water rates in 2009. Our best defense against high prices or mandatory water conservation measures is YOU. For incentives or tips on saving wa-ter around your home or business, visit our website at www.otaywater.gov or take the 20-Gallon Challenge at www.20gallonchallenge.com. “Save it or Lose it” Otay Water District Declares Level I Drought Watch In response to Governor Schwarzenegger’s California state drought proclamation, the Otay Water District (OWD) has declared a Level I Drought Watch for its service area. Within this level, ratepayers are strongly urged to reduce their water use by 10%. For specific restrictions visit www.otaywater.gov LEVEL IV - DROUGHT EMERGENCY Stop all landscape irrigation, except crops and landscape products of commercial growers and nurseries. LEVEL II - DROUGHT ALERT Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation. LEVEL I - DROUGHT WATCH Voluntary water restrictions apply. LEVEL III - DROUGHT CRITICAL Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation. You n e ver mi ss it until i t ’s goneYou n e v er mi ss it until i t ’s goneYou n ever mis s it until it ’s gone Water: Save it or Lose itWater: Save it or Lose itWater: Save it or Lose it www.20 gallon challenge.comwww.20 gallon challenge .comwww.20 gallon challenge.com We need your help. Our imported water supplies have been cut, so we need to reduce water use immediately. Your efforts can make a big difference now, and for San Diego County’s future. Visit 20gallonchallenge.com to learn more, and to find easy ways to save water. CaSh for PLantS The photo on the right was taken before August 10, 2005, and below one year later. This road median was replanted as part of the district’s Cash for Plants program. The homeowner’s association replaced 6,537 sq. ft. of irrigated turf with low water use Mediterranean and California native plants. In addition to using less water, the me- dian also requires less frequent maintenance. In the before photo, notice the street damage caused by overspray from the irrigation system. Because of the savings resulting from the replanted median as well as the attractive new landscaping, the HOA has completed another project replacing 11,000 more sq. ft. of turf. For more information on the Cash for Plants program, visit our website at www.otaywater.gov and click on Conservation. San Diego Natural History Museum Presents: West Coast Premiere of: Water: h2o = Life Exhibition Explores Earth’s Precious and Vulnerable resource BefOre After Celebrate water, our natural resource – more valuable than oil, more precious than gold – the essential ingredient of our life, culture, and history. The Water: H2O = Life exhibi- tion opens July 19, 2008 and runs through November 30, 2008. A special section of the exhibition devoted exclusively to Southern California’s water issues will be on display at the Museum for at least two years. That section, titled Water: A California Story, illustrates the fragility of water supplies in the west. In Southern California, most of the water—about 85%—is imported from either the Colorado River or Northern California. Since recent drought conditions have affected the water supply from the Colorado River, and because San Diego is in the driest two-year period since yearly rainfall began being recorded in 1801, the issue of water conservation and infrastructure is at the forefront of many people’s minds. Otay Water DistrictBOarD Of DirectOrs The Board of Directors meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 pm in the Board meeting room. The public is encouraged to attend at 2554 Sweetwater Spring Bvd., Spring Valley, CA. PresidentGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov Vice-PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov treasurerJaime Bonilla, Division 2jbonilla@otaywater.gov BoardmemberMark Robak, Division 5OtayWater@cox.net BoardmemberLarry Breitfelder, Division 1lbreitfelder@otaywater.gov JuLy iS... Smart Irrigation Month! Save water, save money and see better results. www.smartirrigationmonth.org Bye Bye Grass Lawns are so demanding! No other garden plants require as much water or as frequent fertilizing. None require weekly pruning (mowing, after all, is pruning), made even worse by the need for power tools. No plants generate as much green waste either. isn’t it time to say “bye-bye” to your lawn — or at least to most of it? Summertime is the best time to eliminate your lawn. The best method depends on the type of grass you have. Or rather, on the type of roots your grass has. Dig up a patch of grass. Are the roots fine and threadlike? Or are they as thick and fleshy like the roots that grow out of an old potato? Here are some suggestions for each kind of grass. There are more options but these will get you started. Grasses with thread-like roots are fairly easy to remove. If you have a strong back (or a strong teenager), dig it out by hand. Or rent a sod cutter. A sod cutter is a bit like a lawn mower, but it has a broad blade that cuts into the ground and slices out a ribbon of grass. It takes some skill to maneuver, especially to avoid hitting sprinkler pipes. Solarize your grass. Cover the grass with sheets of plastic (clear or black), then let the sun “cook” the grass, roots and all. Solarization works best for grass in full sun, in parts of the county that get really hot. Gardeners along the coast may have little success with solarization. Alternatively, spray your grass with one of the new organic certified products or with horticul-tural grade vinegar (10 - 20% acetic acid. Household vinegar is typically 5% acetic acid). Once the grass blades are dead, fine roots die too. Follow all label directions. Grasses with thick, creeping roots are harder to kill, unfortunately. They store energy in their roots (that’s why they are so thick). If you kill the top growth, blades soon resprout. Roots are so brittle that digging them leaves tiny pieces behind to resprout and regrow. Even most organic gardeners will tell you that the only way to kill fleshy-root grasses roots is with glyphosate, the active ingredient in products like Roundup™ and Remuda™. Glyphosate interferes with the synthesis of an enzyme critical to plant metabolism. Insects and animals (that includes humans) don’t make this enzyme so it doesn’t have the same effect on us. And once the spray dries, it is no longer active. The best time to spray glyphosate is in summer when grass is growing most actively. Follow label directions. Wait two weeks then spray any grass that is still alive. Repeat a third time if necessary. For more details and information on what to plant in place of grass, attend “Bye Bye Grass” offered at The Water Conservation Garden, www.TheGarden.org. Copywrite © Nan Sterman 2008. All rights reserved XerIScAPe: Beautiful Landscape on a Low-Water BudgetLandscape Designer Connie Beck takes the mystery out of Xeriscape landscaping, and shows you why Xeriscape is not “Zeroscape”! Learn the seven principles of xeriscape, plant selection, and planting techniques. The workshop includes a classroom lecture and an interpretive tour of the xeriscape garden. This class is offered in partnership with Cuyamaca College’s Commu-nity Learning Program. For information and to register, call 619-660-4350, or visit www.cuyamaca.edu/preview. Cost is $30. cooking with Native Plants Cook with a local resource....native plants! Native plant expert Lisa Chaddock shows you where to gather these plants growing wild in San Diego, and how to use them to make tasty dishes at home. Elderberry, fennel, and flat top buckwheat are some of the foods you’ll be introduced to. Included in the price of the class is Lisa’s cookbook and a locator map for finding native edibles growing in San Diego. Register at www.thegarden.org $12 Members / $15 Non-Members. Bye Bye Grass! Parts 1 & 2 Part 1: Tired of being a slave to your water-thirsty lawn? Join Nan Sterman to learn how to exterminate your lawn for good! Learn how to prepare the soil for a new garden, along with lots of creative ideas on what to replace it with in Part 2: Your lawn is gone! Nan will guide you through living examples of water-wise landscapes, show you interesting drought-tolerant ground covers, and introduce you to the variety of hardscape options. Regis-ter at www.thegarden.org. Saturday, July 12, 9:30am-12:30pm Saturday, July 19, 10am-12pm July 23, July 30, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 2008 california-friendly Landscape contest Winner Congratulations to Linda Whitney, the winner of the 5th Annual California Friendly Landscape contest. Her home in the EastLake community of Chula Vista was selected as the best regional exam- ple of a water saving, California Friendly garden. Linda and her husband Gordon received a $500 gift certificate presented at a special ceremony on Saturday, May 17, and a commemorative paver that will be installed at the Water Conservation Garden in Rancho San Diego. To view photos of all the winning landscapes, visit www.landscapecontest.com. A T T H E Ga r d e n Nan Sterman’sPlant Soup Inc. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL 619.670.2222 OR GO TO WWW.OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quarterly by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at www.otaywater.gov. If you have questions about the newsletter, please contact us at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Spring Valley, CA 91978-2096. Copyright © 2008 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. Enfrentamos significativos recortes en el suministro de agua del Norte de California en un futuro no muy lejano y la reducción a, los niveles de almacenamiento de agua en todo California. “Nuestro suministro de agua está siendo recortado, y necesitamos unirnos todos y ahorrar agua inmediatamente,” dijo Fern Steiner, Presidenta de la Mesa Directiva de Agua del Condado de San Diego. “Esta campaña se encuentra diseñada para crear conciencia en la gente de que estos recortes han creado un serio y ver- dadero problema acerca del agua, y para hacerles saber que pueden hacer una gran diferencia en cuanto a la durabilidad de nuestros recursos de abastecimiento de agua tomando medidas inmediatas para reducir el desperdicio de agua y mejorar la eficiencia de uso” dijo Steiner. “Si no hacemos algo al respecto, corre- mos el riesgo de desperdiciar nuestro ya reducido abastecimiento y arriesgamos la calidad de vida de los 3 millones de residentes poniendo en peligro nuestra economía de $57 billones de dólares. Los recursos de abastecimiento de agua del estado continúan siendo afectados debido a una combinación de clima seco y restric- ciones de bombeo. A pesar de la gran actividad de lluvias a principios del 2008, los niveles de lluvia y nevada en la mayor parte del estado durante los meses de marzo a junio han estado por debajo del promedio normal. Mientras tanto, la orden de la corte de restringir el bombeo de abastecimiento de agua del norte de California ha estado vigente desde dici- embre del 2007. Estas restricciones han recortado las entregas para el Proyecto Estatal de Agua (State Water Project) por más de 465,000 acres-pies hasta este año – cantidad de agua suficiente para satisfacer la necesidad anual de más de 3.6 millones de californianos. El Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), el mayor importador de agua en la región, planea cumplir con la demanda de agua para este año extray-endo agua de las reservas y cuentas de almacenamiento de aguas subterráneas. Sin embargo, también éstas están solic-itando obtener medidas de conservación extraordinarias. Por ejemplo, limitaciones de abastecimiento han provo- cado al MWD ordenar una reducción del 30% de abas- tecimiento de agua para rancheros y agricultores inscritos en el programa de abastecimiento ininterrum- pido (Interruptible Agricul- tural Water Program). El recorte de agua agrícola entró en efecto el 1º de enero del 2008 y afecta a aproximadamente 5,000 agricultores y otros clientes agrícolas en el condado de San Diego. Como resultado, muchos de los rancheros y agri- cultores de la región han tenido que comenzar a limpiar tocones o tomado otras medidas para reducir la producción. Estas acciones tendrán un efecto de cascada en trabajos de nuestra economía local. Para incentivos o consejos para ahor-rar agua alrededor de su casa o negocio, por favor visita nuestra pá-gina web www.otaywater.gov o tome el reto de los 20 galones de agua en www.20gallonchallenge.com. “¡o se ahorra o se pierde!” Otay Water District Declara estado de Vigilancia por Sequía Nivel I En respuesta a la proclamación de sequía del estado de California por el Gobernador Schwarzenegger, Otay Water District (OWD) ha declarado Estado de vigilancia por Sequía Nivel I para su área de servicio. Dentro de este nivel se exhorta a los usuarios reducir su uso del agua por un 10%. SEQUÍA - NIVEL IV ESTADO DE EMERGENCIA Alto al riego de jardines, excepto a cosechas, productos de jardinería de agricultores comerciales y viveros. SEQUÍA - NIVEL III ESTADO CRÍTICO Riego limitado de jardinescomerciales y residenciales. SEQUÍA - NIVEL II ESTADO DE ALERTA Riego limitado de jardines comerciales y residenciales. SEQUÍA - NIVEL I ESTADO DE VIGILANCIA Aplican restricciones voluntarias al uso del agua. ESTADO DE VIGILANCIA POR SEQUÍA For specific restrictions visit www.otaywater.gov www.20 gallon challenge .comwww.20 gallon challenge.comwww.20 gallon challenge.com Necesitamos su ayuda. Han recortado nuestro suministro de agua de nuestras fuentes proveedoras principales, por lo tanto necesitamos reducir el uso de agua inmediatamente. Su esfuerzo es muy importante ahora y para el futuro del condado de San Diego. Si desea aprender más al respecto y para obtener consejos fáciles para ahorrar agua, visite 20gallonchallenge.com Agua: Consérvala hoy o se agota rá mañan aAgua: Consérvala hoy o se agotará ma ñanaAgua: Con sérvala hoy o se a go tará mañana Nunca la extrañarás ha sta que ya no estéNunca la extrañarás hasta que ya no estéNunca la ext rañarás hasta que ya no e sté