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Fighting Back From the Impact of the Megadrought  

California remains plunged into a drought that — according to some researchers — has lasted more than two decades and is considered a “megadrought.” Such events have happened before in history. But this megadrought, the researchers say, is being driven by human-caused climate change that is leading to longer, hotter, and drier temperatures.

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California Water Leaders Say Native Plants Would Help Reduce Water Usage

To aid water conservation efforts in drought-stricken California, local and state water leaders are touting the benefits of native plants that require less water to maintain and help restore biodiversity.  Amidst a nursery filled with plants native to California at the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley,  Executive Director Evan Meyer recently welcomed water leaders…

LADWP Expands Water Conservation Rebates

As California enters a third year of drought, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is helping residential customers reduce their water use and save money with a 25% increase to its high-efficiency clothes washer rebate, from $400 to $500, as well as a more than 65% increase to its water-efficient toilet rebate,…

Mow High and Mulch Thick
• Raise the lawnmower blade to mow higher and allow the grass to grow deeper roots
• Keep a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch in plant beds to limit evaporation and help control weeds

Redirect and Capture Rainwater
• Direct rainfall off the roof and into a rain barrel or cistern for garden use (both are eligible for rebates)
• Install stormwater retention features like dry rock beds, swales, berms and grades
• Redirect water into the garden and allow it to soak into the ground rather than running off into the gutter
• Install a rainchain from the roof to direct runoff into flower beds and away from the home’s foundation

Have a Smart Irrigation Program
• Take advantage of rebates for smart controllers and install a custom watering schedule by zone that adjusts to the weather. Some controllers can even be adjusted through a phone app.
• Use rotating sprinkler nozzles (also eligible for rebates) for more efficient watering and less overspray and loss to evaporation
• Be quick to repair sprinkler leads and adjust for blocked spray to avoid excessive runoff
• Consider converting from spray watering to drip, bubblers and microsprays for shrubs and flower beds
• Use a soil moisture sensor to more accurately determine watering needs (eligible for a rebate)

Rebates
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has many rebates to help you save water indoors and outside, along with helpful conservation tips and how-to videos at bewaterwise.com. Here’s a snapshot of residential outdoor water-saving rebates:

Lawn Replacement: Starting at $2/square foot (maximum 5,000 square feet)
Smart Irrigation Controller:
Starting at $80 (less than one irrigated acre)
Starting at $35/station (one irrigated acre or larger)

Rotating Nozzles: Starting at $2/nozzle (minimum 30 per home)
Rain Barrel: Starting at $35/barrel (maximum two per home)
Cisterns: Starting at $250,$300, $350 depending on number of gallons

Infiltration System Being Built to Improve San Fernando Water

In the baseball field of the San Fernando Recreation Park, work has begun on constructing an infiltration system to capture runoff rainwater and prevent pollutants from reaching the local water supply. The estimated $11.2 million project, which began construction on April 4, is being built in the field near the Pacoima Wash. It is expected…

San Fernando, TreePeople Work to Save Water and Cool Neighborhoods

By Jean-Paul Renaud The City of San Fernando sits at the epicenter of climate change — vulnerable to the deadly effects of extreme heat as well as the devastating effects of droughts. But the City also serves as a model of how, if a community works together and applies research-based solutions, the effects of a…

How to Help Fight Climate Change in Your Neighborhood

By Gabriel Arizon  San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol  In an effort to increase awareness of climate change among local residents, representatives from Climate Resolve held a presentation about the effects of rising heat in the San Fernando Valley and how to help mitigate it.  Gabriel Varela and Lia Cohen of Climate Resolve — an organization…

Arleta Urban Farm is Cultivating a Community  

By Walter OrellanaSpecial to the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol  Community urban farms and gardens are helping in the battle against climate change caused by increased CO2 levels and methane emissions — or CH4 — created by humans and the agriculture industry that have greatly accelerated global warming since pre-industrial times. Urban gardens and farms…

Sierra Snowpack Worsens, Falls to Lowest Level in 7 Years

By Rachel BeckerCalMatters Seven years ago today, during the height of the last drought, California Gov. Jerry Brown stood on the barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada, watching as engineers measured the worst snowpack in state history. Current snow measurements aren’t quite so bleak, but they remain devastatingly low; the snowpack — which provides a third of…

CSUN to Shorten Distance Between Farm to Table with Freight Farming

California State University, Northridge has launched a new initiative to shorten the distance from farm to table by growing its own produce using a new form of agriculture. Freight farming allows one to break the traditional barriers of farming by growing produce not on vast swaths of soil, but in large freight containers. The containers…

The Growing Burden of PPE Waste

By Earth Talk Magazine From healthcare workers and teachers, grocery clerks and students, no one has escaped the increased need for personal protective equipment (PPE) for the past two years. Though inarguably a critical agent in preventing the spread of disease, PPE has inadvertently created a new “shadow pandemic” — billions of these single-use items…

How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change

By The Editors of Environmental Magazine As our understanding of the human-caused effects on our environment deepens, we find ourselves changing our habits, but we also carry the responsibility of preparing the next generation. A National Public Radio (NPR) poll shows that 84 percent of parents think children should learn about climate change while only…