By Robert Maryland | Special to the OBSERVER
Robert Maryland, OBSERVER
The City of Sacramento Community Garden Program, in partnership with Save Our Water, recently hosted a day of gardening and fun at Southside Community Garden. Families harvested produce and increased their water conservation knowledge with free tips, resources and giveaways meant to encourage residents to cut back on outdoor water use.
Save Our Water reminds Californians that as extreme drought and record-setting heat continue to impact communities, now is the time to double down on making changes to conserve water, especially as residents start planning fall gardens.
As fall arrived officially Sept. 22, Californians began to see cooler temperatures, but it’s important to remember that California still is experiencing extreme drought and water conservation remains a top priority.
“As Californians recover from the extreme heatwave that marked the unofficial end of summer, we are reminded that despite the seasons changing, California’s climate is continuing to grow hotter and drier,” said Margaret Mohr, deputy director of communications for the state’s Department of Water Resources. “Our hydrologists are
expecting an extremely dry fall and all Californians can help make a difference on even the smallest conservation efforts to help save water for our future.”
The garden day partnership was designed to raise awareness of drought, share the most effective ways to reduce water use and encourage Sacramentans to save water. Representatives from SMUD, the city’s solid waste recycling program and ReSoil Sacramento were there to teach families how to conserve water in their gardens, while caring for their plants, and provided resources to help households navigate water conservation.
To help residents do their part this season, below are five fall water-saving tips to start practicing:
1. Fall is the ideal time in California to plant drought-resilient plants and trees. Drought-resilient landscaping can save 30-60 gallons per thousand square feet at each watering.
2. Turn off sprinklers and other irrigation systems when rain is forecast.
3. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean outdoor areas to save six gallons of water every minute.
4. Fix leaks and adjust sprinkler heads to avoid watering sidewalks and save 12-15 gallons at each watering. A leak about as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen can waste about 6,300 gallons of water monthly.
5. Continue to take showers that are five minutes or less to save up to 121/2 gallons of water per shower.
For more water conservation resources and tips, visit saveourwater.com and follow @Saveourwater on Instagram.