Four students who participated in the Irvine Unified School District’s science fair on February 28 were selected for honors by Irvine Ranch Water District for their water-related science fair projects.

IRWD has been involved in the science fair since its inception more than 30 years ago. District professionals have assisted, whether it’s advising during Ask-a-Scientist Night, or judging the water-related science fair projects.

Of the several hundred entries, more than 30 were water-related. Some examined various methods of desalination, some examined irrigation controllers and others conducted experiments on removing certain constituents from water.

The students will be honored at the June 12 IRWD Board of Directors meeting. Judging this year were David Cole and Jessica Tron of the IRWD Water Quality Laboratory, assisted by Melinda Bergen, supervisor in the chemistry section of the lab.

Students whose projects were selected are:

• Aurnon Chattopadhay, University High School, “Efficient Removal of Pb, Cd, and Ud from Water”
• Ainesh Arumugan, grade 10, University High School, “Smart Irrigation Controller” (this is Ainesh’s second consecutive year as a winner)
• Sabreen Alam, grade 7, Jeffrey Trail Middle School, “Mediated vs. Unmediated Microbal Fuel Cells”
• Aditi Mundra, grade 6, Canyon View Elementary School, “Solar Desalination-Does Temperature vs. Time of Day Affect the Amount of h20 Purified?”

For more information on the IRWD educational programs, please visit our website.

Evenings are about to become lighter beginning Sunday, March 12, as we set our clocks forward one hour in observance of daylight saving time.

Remember to make this adjustment to your clocks before you go to bed Saturday night.

The semi-annual time changes coincide with seasonal changes in weather, when irrigation controllers and sprinkler times should change. Water use lowers as the weather cools, and increases as weather warms, so it’s a good idea to check your controller at the same time you change your clocks.

To ensure that your service is not interrupted, change the batteries in your controllers, as well. Most controllers use a 9-volt battery to maintain the programmed schedule in the case of power outage. When the controller battery dies, the schedule automatically resets to the factory default of watering 10 minutes a day, seven days a week.

And while you are changing out your irrigation controller battery, it’s also a good time to change out the batteries in your home smoke detectors.

While we still might be enjoying February winter weather, it’s not too early to plan your spring garden. IRWD is hosting several events that can help you achieve big water savings while creating a beautiful yard.

Home Depot Event:

On Saturday, March 4, Home Depot in Lake Forest is hosting a garden event in conjunction with IRWD from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The store is located at 20021 Lake Forest Drive.

Receive special discounts on select varieties of attractive water-efficient plants. Enjoy vendor displays, educational demonstrations, give-aways, children’s activities, and more.

Learn from local experts how to plan a water-efficient landscape, while saving money and beautifying your yard.

RightScape Series Workshops:

• Spring into Gardening Workshop: This workshop is set for Wednesday, March 1, 6-8 p.m., and will teach you how to create and maintain a beautiful, drought-friendly garden.
• Sprinkler Repair & Drip Conversion Workshop: Thursday, March 23, 6-8 p.m. Learn how to save money and water by repairing and maintaining an efficient irrigation system. Solutions to common problems like leaky seals, broken lines and uneven sprinkler coverage will be discussed. Find out the easy way to update from sprinklers to drip irrigation.

Sign up on our website. All workshops are held at Irvine Ranch Water District’s headquarters office, 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine.

Are you interested in cutting down on water use in your garden by installing native plants? Would you even recognize a native plant if you saw one? Join the California Native Plant Society of Orange County for “California in My Garden,” a one-day, self-guided tour of gardens featuring all or mostly native plants all over Orange County.

The date of this year’s garden tour is April 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This is a great opportunity to visit 18 private gardens.

These gardens’ unique designs not only save water, they also attract native birds and butterflies – and are living proof that California native plants can be successfully integrated into the home landscape.

There is no cost for the tour, but registration for the free guidebook is required. The guidebook will be mailed on or after March 15. Guidebooks will also be available at various locations.

You can also check out the IRWD website for information on the latest workshops and for tips on saving money on outdoor water use.

The California Native Plant Society meets on the third Thursday, at the IRWD Duck Club, 6:45 p.m.