OT – Water restriction

[no_such_reality]

AN. Did you use the UC Verde hybrid developed by the UC schools? Does it need regular mowing? I can only confuse my gardener so much

[FlyerInHi]

They are afraid of contamination and standing water causing unhealthy conditions. I can understand why.

[an]

[quote=no_such_reality]AN. Did you use the UC Verde hybrid developed by the UC schools? Does it need regular mowing? I can only confuse my gardener so much[/quote]
I initially wanted to use UC Verde. I told my landscaper that that’s the one I wanted. But somehow, he end up just buying the buffalo grass seeds instead. It end up have similar result, it’s just the one I end up getting have seeds from the grass while the UC Verde doesn’t. But the growth height is about the same. I went through most of last year without mowing. I was fine with the look but my wife wanted it shorter, so now, I’m mowing about once a month. They grow a lot slower than Tall Fescue. At full height of 6-8″, because the blades are thin, the grass tend to lie down a little bit. Kinda of like what you see the the prairies. I didn’t water it between October and January and it started to turn brown (dormant) and when I started the sprinkler again, it turns green again.

If you like the prairie look, you can almost drop your gardener completely, since it doesn’t get any taller than 8″.

[flyer]

It will be interesting to see if what we’re all trying to do will be enough to preserve our state for future generations.

[an]

[quote=flyer]It will be interesting to see if what we’re all trying to do will be enough to preserve our state for future generations.[/quote]I doubt it. I think the only thing that will make a dramatic difference is if they start to build a lot of desalination plants, build toilet to tap system, and to get the farmers to pay the same amount as the rest of us. If residential only use about 30% of the total water usage, I don’t think what we all are doing will make that big if a difference. It will make a difference, but I don’t think it’ll be enough.

[flyer]

Sadly, AN, I agree. I’m usually a very optimistic person, but, in this case, I think the state may be living on “borrowed time,”–waterwise–so, even though we can all do our best, unless some major changes are made, or naturally occur, Cali’s best days may be over.

[bearishgurl]

Of course, it’s water under the bridge now, but SoCal’s chronic water shortage is IN LARGE PART DUE to Big Development repeatedly and successfully “palming” goodies to our local (greedy) elected officials over the last ~25 years, folks. It worked!

Yes, we elected them and what do we have to show for our (misguided) votes now? Massive “master-planned communities” and “subdivision hell” as far as the eye can see with much of the units built on substandard lots in order to cram double the amount of residents into one acre (w/your local gubment’s blessing). As a result, we now have severely clogged fwys … even gridlock on several roads every morning and evening and ugly “Big Box” stores everywhere.

“Econobox,” indeed (picked that term up from joec :))

flyer, I don’t even recognize SD County today. It isn’t anything like the SD I remember and once loved. Imho, Cali’s (at least SoCal’s) glory days have long passed and this is a dirty shame. Cali had/has more variety in nature to offer than any other state in the country. Much of it has now been infringed upon by Big Development and/or not properly maintained due to severe govm’t budget cuts resulting from (drumroll) …. unfunded mandates due to expanded entitlement programs as a result of “too many people.” Not people who are contributors to society but people who cannot or will not meet their own basic needs. How did all these people get here? WELL, have you ever heard the mantra, “Build it and they will come?” Yeah. That’s how I believe a lot of them got here. I see it everywhere. After these “newcomers” lost their homes to FC, etc, thousands upon thousands of them found a way to stay (on your dime).

Sorry for the rant. As you may surmise, it’s probably well past time for me to finally move … :={

[flyer]

As you, BG, we feel San Diego was a much nicer place to live in past years. Believe it or not, there was a time, when my wife and I were growing up here, that our families knew practically every other family in the entire city, and we’re very glad we had the opportunity to experience that amazing lifestyle.

Some say the growth San Diego has experienced is “progress,” and–because there’s no going back now–it’s take it or leave it. Although some of our friends have moved, (and we completely respect that choice) most have not, and, like us, they have decided to “take it,” and stay, because we feel we’re still living a better lifestyle here, than anyplace else we could live in the world, (water issues pending).

[bearishgurl]

[quote=flyer]As you, BG, we feel San Diego was a much nicer place to live in past years. Believe it or not, there was a time, when my wife and I were growing up here, that our families knew practically every other family in the entire city, and we’re very glad we had the opportunity to experience that amazing lifestyle.

Some say the growth San Diego has experienced is “progress,” and–because there’s no going back now–it’s take it or leave it. Although some of our friends have moved, (and we completely respect that choice) most have not, and, like us, they have decided to “take it,” because we feel we’re still living a better lifestyle here, than anyplace else we could live in the world, (water issues pending).[/quote]

I’m originally from Northern Cali, flyer, which, as you know, is a different world from here. I decided last month that, for me, it will be between Mendo, Sonoma, Contra Costa or El Dorado Counties. Back in 2009, I had decided on El Dorado County for a retirement locale and that is still in the running. I took Tehama and Shasta Counties out the running due to heat and removed Lake County due to some environmental concerns I had. I don’t want to live as far up as Humboldt County. And too much of Napa County has been turned into subdivision hell, due to poor leadership. I’m okay with a town of 15-20K population.

I’m seeing both from online and visits up there that the well-heeled SF Bay dwellers have bought up weekend/vacation homes and land in and around choice towns in Sonoma County at a rate such that the RE prices have doubled in those towns in the last few years (ex: Healdsburg and Sebastapol). There is now little or no inventory to choose from in any given week.

Santa Cruz is okay but Central Coast is too dry for me. I don’t even like Santa Barbara. I want to live among the pines/redwoods.

As soon as I get my (college-student) kid situated in more permanent housing near their campus this fall, I’ll figure the rest out.

There are still “bucolic” places left in Cali but the RE in even the lesser-known areas is getting a bit more pricey. A lot of “boomers” are probably looking for the same kind of life I am, I suppose.

[flyer]

Completely understand, BG–know the areas well. We have quite a few family members in Northern CA, from San Fran, north, who have been there for years, and have also seen the changes you are mentioning with regard to RE prices, etc.

Had their kids not purchased their homes in Sonoma, Napa, and even in Santa Rosa and Placerville, etc., etc., several years ago, they would have been priced out, as these, and other locations up there have become the destinations of choice for many of the SFO elite.

I wish you all of the best in finding what you are looking for, and I’m sure you will.

[CA renter]

[quote=SD Squatter]Pretty much all the water used for washing (sinks, showers, washing machine) is perfectly fine for landscaping with no treatment. Right now it’s all mixed up with toilet and down the sever it goes (to the ocean).

Why is the reclaimed water usage for on-property landscaping not mandatory yet? Why are still new houses being build with no mandatory graywater reclamation systems build-in? Why does the government make it so difficult to retro-fit existing on-property sever lines for graywater reclamation? (I tried once, but gave up after seeing all ridiculous regulations and permit hoop jumping required.)

What about rainwater from your roof?

Some questions to ask our local goverment.[/quote]

This has long been one of my pet peeves, too. I do not favor “toilet to tap,” but think that every house built over the past 10-20 years should have been mandated to have a dual plumbing/wastewater system where the grey water is recycled, at least for outdoor/irrigation use. There is no reason for people to have to water with perfectly good, potable water unless they have a fruit/vegetable garden. Even then, filtered grey water (a simple charcoal filter, or something similar) should work for most applications.

[scaredyclassic]

About 40 perc. Of the time I pee in my yard.

I do what I can.

[systemBuilder]

The midwest can easily supply america with just about all the produce it needs (except maybe pineapples and mangos). I have often heard Californians sneer at the thought of buying produce from the midwest. That is actually farmers exploiting racial/cultural fears to pad their own pockets, and ignorant Californians falling for this farmer’s trick.

Farming in California a DOOMED pursuit, the land will last for at most 200-300 years, before the salts from irrigation ruin all the land in California. We might as well give up on farming in the central valley because it’s a doomed industry to begin with. Watch any PBS show on irrigation to learn why. The Central Valley is on-track to look like Egypt in a few thousand years …

– Midwesterner San Diegan

[an]

Well, this is an interest fact I just stumbled upon today: http://www.acwa.com/news/delta/water-supplies-curtailed-once-again-protect-delta-smelt

“Pumping restrictions aimed at protecting Delta smelt have reduced deliveries to water agencies in the Central Valley, Southern California and San Francisco Bay Area by more than 700,000 acre-feet since Nov. 1, state officials announced Feb. 13.”

“Cowin said water supplies lost as a result of the restrictions would have been enough to meet the needs of 1.4 million households for a year or to irrigate 200,000 acres of farmland.”

[SD Squatter]

[quote=CA renter][quote=SD Squatter]Pretty much all the water used for washing (sinks, showers, washing machine) is perfectly fine for landscaping with no treatment. Right now it’s all mixed up with toilet and down the sever it goes (to the ocean).

Why is the reclaimed water usage for on-property landscaping not mandatory yet? Why are still new houses being build with no mandatory graywater reclamation systems build-in? Why does the government make it so difficult to retro-fit existing on-property sever lines for graywater reclamation? (I tried once, but gave up after seeing all ridiculous regulations and permit hoop jumping required.)

What about rainwater from your roof?

Some questions to ask our local goverment.[/quote]

This has long been one of my pet peeves, too. I do not favor “toilet to tap,” but think that every house built over the past 10-20 years should have been mandated to have a dual plumbing/wastewater system where the grey water is recycled, at least for outdoor/irrigation use. There is no reason for people to have to water with perfectly good, potable water unless they have a fruit/vegetable garden. Even then, filtered grey water (a simple charcoal filter, or something similar) should work for most applications.[/quote]

More on the greywater issue in this Huffington Post article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/greywater-california-drought_n_7026350.html

Some intresting facts from it:

• If just one in ten Southern Californians were to install a greywater system in their home, the state would conserve as much potable water as it expects to generate through the massive $1 billion Carlsbad desalination plant.
• During Governor Brown’s first term, the state offered tax credits to Californians who installed greywater systems (the incentives ended in 1982).
• The City of Tucson, AZ reimburses residents up to $1,000 for the construction of greywater systems, and requires that newly constructed houses be plumbed for greywater.
• The City and County of San Francisco publishes a manual for designing and constructing a residential greywater system, and offers rebates for permits for installations that require them. The city even provides free parts and loans out tools for the purpose.

[Author]

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