Irvine Ranch Water District’s San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary is not just a great place to bird watch, take scenic hikes on 12 miles of trails while enjoying the peace of nature, it also helps the water quality in the Newport Back Bay.

That water is called urban runoff, caused by any water that flows into storm drains during dry weather. Inefficient watering of landscape, washing vehicles, or hosing down of sidewalks are contributors. Urban runoff carries with it fertilizers, oils, trash, pet waste, and other contaminants, contributing to ocean pollution.

The Marsh receives water from nearby San Diego Creek, cycles it though a system of ponds that use plants and soils to naturally clean urban runoff before it flows to Newport Back Bay. Cleaner water released to the creek contains up to 70 percent less nitrates and both sediment and phosphorus have also been reduced.

IRWD has expanded the success of the San Joaquin Marsh into a watershed-wide system of wetlands called the Natural Treatment System. Of the 45 targeted sites, 25 have been built. NTS sites are anywhere from a quarter-acre to four acres in size and can be viewed from adjacent public areas, such as parks, bike trails and greenbelts.

Information and maps about the Marsh are available on our website.

A new, contemporary landscape and water budget interactive demo is now available on RightScapeNow.com. The demo’s colorful motion graphics help residential customers visualize how much turf they need to replace at their home in order to remain within their water budgets. Users can click through several landscape designs with progressively more drought friendly features until they reach the final design that is 100% drought friendly.

The demo offers helpful tips for converting from turf to a water-efficient landscape and provides specific information on each of the drought friendly plants, trees and other water-efficient landscape features that are highlighted throughout the demo.

To use this new feature on the Rightscape website, visit RightScapeNow.com.

An annual event that has become a summer tradition is the Sea and Sage Audubon Summer Barbecue at the Irvine Ranch Water District’s San Joaquin Marsh. The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, from 5-10 p.m.

The evening program will be presented by Martin Fletcher and Katie Chaplin from Friends of the California Condor Wild and Free. Their presentation will provide a summary of the California Condor Recovery program in Southern California. They be taking participants to the skies and nests of the condor and will discuss the condor range using GPS and telemetry that shows condor travel patterns.

Chaplin was instrumental in setting up the cameras in the condor nests and the video networks. She has wide-ranging experience with health checks, nest entries and tagging and has spent a night in a condor nest while a chick was given emergency surgery.

Condors were on the verge of extinction in 1987, with only 27 living as the last free-flying condor was taken from the wild. With the help of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Condor Recovery Program, the condors were returned to their natural habitat beginning in 1992. The greatest threat to the California Condors in the wild is lead. The primary source is from lead fragments that the Califonria Condors eat along with the animals shot within their feeding range.

During the presentation, participants will enjoy chicken and freshly grilled hot dogs, salad, beans, chips, fresh fruit, cake, lemonade, and coffee. A veggie wrap will be provided for those who specifically request it on their reservation forms. The event is staffed entirely by Sea and Sage volunteers.

This family event will feature something for everyone:

• Dining in the meadow (6-7 p.m.)
• A sale of used nature books (5-7:15 p.m.)
• Evening walks around the marsh after dinner (6:30-7:50 p.m.)
• The California condor program (starts at 8:15 p.m.)

This event sells out fast, so reservations are a must. Tickets for the barbecue and program are $20 for adults and $7 for children under five. Tickets include meals and beverages, evening marsh walk and program. Activities will begin at 5 p.m. Arrive early to sign up for the wildlife walks, as they are limited to 20 people.

For more information, reservations, and directions, call Sea and Sage Audubon at (949) 261-7963. The marsh is a hidden oasis located in the heart of Irvine. For more information on the Marsh, please visit the IRWD website.

Following a winter that delivered less rain and snow in Southern California than expected, IRWD customers continue to do a great job of using less water. During the month of May, drinking water use in the IRWD service area decreased nearly 17% from May 2013.  The California State Water Resources Control Board uses 2013 as the base period for tracking water conservation throughout the state of California.

The 17% conservation figure that IRWD customers achieved in May becomes even more impressive when population growth is taken into consideration. When accounting for growth within the District boundaries over the last three years, water use in May 2016 is down by approximately 22% from May 2013.

IRWD continues to encourage and work with its customers to make conservation a permanent way of life in their homes, businesses and schools. The District offers many water use efficiency and recycled water programs that help customers save water and lower their water bills.

Some of the District’s ongoing initiatives to assist customers in using less water include:

• Color Your World with Drought Friendly Landscaping – IRWD continues to fund turf removal rebate programs while many other agencies have temporarily or permanently suspended their turf removal rebate programs. Customers can do the work themselves and receive a $2/sq. ft. rebate or use the turnkey turf program, where a contractor does all the turf removal and drought tolerant landscape installation work from start to finish. More information available at RightScapeNow.com/
• Interactive Turf Demo – Learn how drought friendly landscaping can help keep you within your monthly water budget. To view the demo, visit RightScapeNow.com/demo.
• Residential Recycled Water Filling Station - IRWD operates one of southern California’s first residential recycled water filling stations, where customers can go 7 days a week to fill up with up to 300 gallons per visit of free recycled water for their landscapes.
• Free Home Water Check-Ups – IRWD offers free on-site assistance to help customers eliminate leaks and reduce inefficient water use at their homes.
• Water Insight Program – The District provides free water savings recommendations specific to each customer’s household or business. Customers may register for the Water Insight Program at irwd.waterinsight.com.
• Water-Saving Rebates – IRWD provides rebates for many residential and commercial water-saving devices and products. Learn more and apply at RightScapeNow.com/rebates.