A Little Bit of Rain is Just a Drop in the Bucket
Much-need rain has fallen in the area recently, but that does not signal the end of the drought. It will take more than one storm dropping one to two inches of rain on the area to clear up three years and nine months of extreme drought.
Recent storms are quite literally a drop in the bucket when it comes to solving the state’s water issues. Experts say that dry, thirsty soil, which had been deprived of water for so long, blotted up the rain like a sponge, not allowing enough moisture to percolate and recharge groundwater basins.
The state Department of Water Resources states that October 2013 through September 2014 has been one of the driest years in decades. California heavily depends on the Sierra snowpack for its water supply. DWR conducts snow surveys and the first four conducted in early 2014 found a water equivalent far below average for the dates of the surveys. Rainfall is measured at eight stations in the northern part of the state where the rivers feed into the State Water Project.
Electronic readings from those Northern California stations showed that precipitation was only 60 percent of normal for late April, even though there were a few storms in February and March. The electronic readings for San Joaquin stations show less than 50 percent of normal from October 1, 2013, to late May 2014.
So how long will it take to recover from the drought? There are no hard and fast numbers, according to DWR. An exceptionally wet year would be needed, but it looks unlikely, according to DWR.
Resolve to be Water Efficient in the New Year
We’ve had years of drought and there’s no way to tell if this year will be different. If you’ve already adopted water efficient practices in your yard, thank you very much. If not, make a resolution to do it this year.
Join Roger and Professor Wright. Take the pledge to use The Right Plants, The Right Schedule and The Right Equipment in 2015.
Our RightScape program makes it easy. Visit RightScapeNow.com for a comprehensive list of California appropriate and drought resistant plants, tips on installing the right equipment, and videos that teach you how to program those often-confusing sprinkler timers. You can also learn about all our rebates. Save water, save money, and get cash back, just by being water wise.
Let’s all work together for water efficiency in 2015! Make your New Year’s resolution today!
Fall Back for Water Efficiency on Nov. 2 and Maybe You Could Win $50 Home Depot Gift Card
As part of our all new RightScape program, IRWD is reminding customers to adjust their irrigation controllers and sprinkler times when daylight saving time ends on Nov. 2. Roger is doing it, and you should too!
Daylight saving spring and fall clock changes actually coincides with seasonal changes in weather. That’s when irrigation controllers and sprinkler times should change. It’s time to lower your water use as the weather cools, humidity increases and we have potential for rain.
Checking your irrigation controller when you change your clocks is a good habit to get into. It’s a great time to check your sprinklers for leaks, too.
Let’s all work together for water efficiency! Post a picture of yourself changing your sprinkler settings to our facebook page (facebook.com/IrvineRanchWaterDistrict) or email it to rightscape@irwd.com. Three people will win a $50 Home Depot gift card. Everyone that enters can pick up a complimentary sprinkler key in the IRWD Sand Canyon office lobby.
Contest ends December 15.
For water efficiency… Let’s get it RIGHT
Irvine Ranch Water District is ready to help you make the right decisions about water efficiency. We call it RightScape – Water Efficiency Made Easy. It’s three basic steps that you manage at home. The results are extraordinary - beautiful landscapes with lower water use. All you have to do is select and manage The Right Plants, The Right Schedule and The Right Equipment.
We are pleased to introduce Professor Wright and his trusty pal Roger. Water efficiency isn’t rocket science, but even Professor Wright doesn’t get it right all the time. Like many of us, Professor Wright knows water savings is the right thing to do but he can’t always figure out how to make it all happen. Sometimes he needs a nudge, a push or a reminder. Luckily, Roger is there to help Professor Wright -- and all of us -- make the right decisions. Roger is our knowledgeable adviser in a quest for simple and sustainable ways to ensure water efficiency at home. With Professor Wright and Roger working together, they will encourage everyone in the Irvine Ranch Water District to be water efficient.
Isn’t it time for you to RightScape your yard? Check out our helpful information, videos and easy-to-follow tips. Water efficiency is a necessary way of life but it doesn’t have to impact your outdoor lifestyle.
For more information visit http://www.irwd.com/save-water-money/rightscape.
IRWD Board of Directors Supports Water Bond for November 2014 Ballot
The Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors has adopted a formal position in support of the $7.545 billion water bond measure set for the statewide November ballot in California.
Titled the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, the bond will appear as Proposition 1 on the ballot. The IRWD Board voted to support the measure, saying it contains much-needed funding for new surface and groundwater storage projects, regional water reliability, sustainable groundwater management and cleanup, water recycling, water conservation, watershed protection and safe drinking water, particularly for disadvantaged communities.
The bond measure was approved in a bipartisan vote by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Aug. 13. It is considered a critical element of the state’s comprehensive water plan. Approval of Proposition 1 will make funding available, on a competitive basis, for a variety of water supply and reliability infrastructure projects. IRWD would be able to seek funding for local projects including:
- Water Recycling
- Conservation
- Groundwater Protection
- Water Quality Improvement Projects
Funds from Proposition 1 will be awarded on a competitive basis. IRWD projects that compete and receive funding from Proposition 1 are expected to increase IRWD’s water supply reliability and reduce the District’s reliance on imported water from the State Water Project and the Colorado River.
Proposition 1’s water storage funding will add greater flexibility to the state’s water management system and will help ensure a more reliable water supply to serve the state’s diverse needs, both human and environmental. Greater flexibility and reliability in the state’s water systems benefits IRWD because the District remains partially dependent on imported water.
For more information on Proposition 1, please click here.
