LOS ANGELES The driest January and February in recorded history is pushing California into a third year of a drought.
What You Need to Know
- After the driest Januarys and Februarys in recorded history, this winter failed provide much-needed relief to California’s drought. Now in its third season
- State reservoir levels remain far below average and continue dropping
- This forced the California Department of Water Resources (CDC) to reduce the amount of water Southern California will get from the State Water Project by 5%
- Californians can visit SaveOurWater.com or bewaterwise.com to find water saving tips and easy steps.
Even though this news is grim, Evan Meyer believes that there are still opportunities.
So weve got hummingbird sage babies right now. Meyer, executive director of Theodore Payne Foundation, said that this plant is drought-tolerant and can withstand shade. The nursery also offers programs to educate people about the benefits of native plants.
California native plants, such as deer grass, hummingbird sage, and lilac verena, require 85% less water than grass. They have evolved here and are used the drought.
Meyer stated that it is inspiring to see the drought through the eyes landscape, nature, and biodiversity and see how they can thrive in such a limited environment.
Meyer and the foundation based their knowledge on this knowledge to encourage people rebuild nature and save water, by switching out their lawns and plants for native species.
The foundation hosted a state and local water leaders press conference ahead of World Water Day to celebrate the precious resource and to ask people to conserve water, as the states reserves currently hold 46% of its full capacity. The State Water Project will reduce its allocations to water agencies such as the Metropolitan Water District from 15% to 5%.
Krista Guerrero is a resource specialist from Metropolitan Water District who helped the district increase its water supply.
We were at the point that we were not getting enough water from our water sources. There are areas of our service area that could be limited to safety and health water. Guerrero stated that they only need the water to flush their toilets, clean, and cook with.
Guerrero suggests that we examine how we use water, and then create a plan for reducing the amount of water we use for each task.
Guerrero explained that it is so small that it doesn’t seem like you are saving much water.
Meyer says that native plants can give the state hope.
He said that gardening for the environment can bring people together.
Meyer hopes it will unite the state to combat the drought and build a more resilient society.
For more information, please visit saveourwater.com or bewaterwise.com