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.

Have you ever wanted to learn the dynamics of successful composting? Now’s your chance! Join us on Saturday, July 9 from 9 a.m. to noon for a free workshop. The workshop will be held at the Irvine Ranch Water District’s headquarters office, 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine.

This presentation covers all of the basics of composting and vermicomposting (composting with worms). You will learn:

• What is composting and why is it so important?
• Tools and materials you will need
• Which items are compostable and which are not?
• Harvesting and using your compost.

Space is limited, so go to rightscapenow.com/events to sign up.

What is the problem?

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) is limiting Irvine Ranch Water District’s ability to pump low cost groundwater when compared to other north Orange County water agencies by implementing a policy that excludes recycled water from total water demand calculations. This imposes an unfair financial burden on IRWD customers.

How are water resources managed in Orange County?

North Orange County meets the total water demands of its residents through groundwater, imported water, and other water supplies. The region is fortunate to have access to a large groundwater aquifer, managed for over 80 years by OCWD. OCWD manages the amount of groundwater in the basin by establishing an allowable percentage of groundwater that the retail water agencies can pump relative to the agencies’ total water demands. Groundwater pumped in excess of this percentage is subject to additional fees and assessments. As a “managed” groundwater basin, the benefits of groundwater are intended to extend equally and fairly to all north Orange County retail water agencies and their customers.

Local groundwater is the lowest cost and most reliable supply of water for north Orange County, while imported water is the highest cost of water for the region. In order to reduce their dependence on costly imported water supplies, some retail water agencies have invested in other sources to meet their customers’ water demands. For example, IRWD, starting in the 1960s, took the initiative to reduce its dependence on imported water supplies by developing a recycled water system. Over the past 50 years, the customers of IRWD have invested upwards of $600 million in an innovative recycled water system that has improved regional water supply reliability and reduced the need for costly imported water supplies. IRWD customers have enthusiastically supported ongoing investments in the development of their recycled water system knowing that water is too valuable to be used only once and that reducing reliance on imported water is good resource management. The wise investment made by IRWD customers in a recycled water system should not be penalized by an OCWD policy.

So how does OCWD’s policy unfairly harm IRWD?

Unfortunately, an existing OCWD policy is unfairly shifting the benefits associated with IRWD’s investments in its recycled water system away from IRWD customers. OCWD’s current policy specifically excludes IRWD’s recycled water demands from what it considers “total water demand,” thereby artificially reducing the amount of high quality, low cost local groundwater that IRWD is allowed to pump. A graphical explanation is provided below:

By maintaining this policy, OCWD is shifting the benefit of IRWD’s investment in a recycled water system away from IRWD customers. OCWD’s policy penalizes the use of recycled water, imposes an unfair financial burden on IRWD customers, and is contrary to state law and California water policy.

What is a fair solution?

To resolve these issues, IRWD has requested that OCWD recognize that recycled water meets customer demands, just like the imported water that it replaced, and modify its policy to allow recycled water to count as part of an agency’s total water demand. This will end the unfair shift of benefit away from IRWD customers and will allow for fair and equal access to low cost groundwater among north Orange County water agencies. This policy shift would also align with OCWD’s strong belief that water recycling should be promoted, not discouraged.

Why now? Seeking fairness.

For many years, IRWD has attempted to develop an equitable change in OCWD’s unfair policy. This year, as a direct result of this policy of penalizing the use of recycled water, IRWD is faced with being assessed additional groundwater fees, estimated at approximately $2 million. To protect the interests of its customers, IRWD has taken action by filing a complaint with the Superior Court of the State of California. While IRWD is still hopeful that discussions with OCWD will resolve the issue, we believe that this lawsuit is needed now to facilitate a change in OCWD policy, to preserve the benefits of IRWD’s investments in its recycled water system, and to protect IRWD customers from additional costs imposed through higher rates.

For up-to-date information and resource library please visit http://www.equalaccesstogroundwater.com