RECHARGE GARDEN

Recharge Garden in Southern California

Abstract

California is heading toward a water crisis. The spring of 2008 was the driest in 88 years, and rivers across the state are running dangerously low. Furthermore, mountain snowpack has been subject to increased evaporation, a condition likely to be exacerbated in future years by climate change. The disaster in New Orleans has also brought attention to the aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system. An earthquake or levee breach could disrupt the intricate flow of water into and out of the Bay Area; such an event would create a water disaster in all parts of the state from the East Bay to the Mexican border. In November, Californians will face one or more ballot initiatives that would authorize funds to solve the water crisis. Approving the funds, however, is merely the starting point. The state's water needs are vast (and expensive). Yet, the budget crisis and the demands for other infrastructure improvements, education and health services, and other spending priorities mean the state will always have fewer resources to address water issues than there are worthy projects. In this context, California voters, elected officials and water policy makers must carefully select the strategies to which they will commit scarce resources. To this end, the LAEDC has produced for the Southern California Leadership Council (SCLC) a report evaluating strategies for improving Southern California's water supply based on cost-effectiveness, environmental impact and overall efficacy. Most of Southern California's water is imported from three sources: the Colorado River, the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and, for the City of Los Angeles, the Owens River Valley. All three sources are under pressure. A significant portion of the Colorado River Basin experienced above average rainfall and run-off this year, providing some relief from a drought that has lasted eight years. Nonetheless, water levels at the two main storage facilities on the river (Lake Mead behind the Hoover Dam and Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon Dam) remain below half of capacity. Whether the rains marked the end of the drought or are just a blip in what could be an even longer-term dry spell remains to be seen.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION5

CHAPTER 2: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA9

California - Climate9

California - Water Projects10

California - Agriculture11

California - The Water & Energy Connection11

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY18

Research Approach18

Data Collection18

Search Strategy18

Literature Search19

Ethical Viewpoint19

CHAPTER 4: CALIFORNIA'S WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY20

CHAPTER 5: WATER EFFICIENCY AND PREFERENCE TO NATIVE LAWNS26

Drought Tolerant Lawns26

Lawn Alternatives28

Lawns Water Conservation Analysis28

Storm-water Management36

CHAPTER 6: CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS38

Bay-Friendly Plant Selection40

Sustainable Gardening Methods for Water Conservation41

Native Plants and Trees41

Double Digging42

Drip Irrigation42

Gardening with California's Native Bulbs43

CHAPTER 7: STRATEGIES TO REPLACE OR AUGMENT IMPORTED WATER45

Urban Water Conservation45

CHAPTER 8: STRATEGIES TO INCREASE IMPORTED WATER48

Transfers from Agricultural to Urban Users49

Storm-water Capture54

CHAPTER 9: STRATEGIES TO INCREASE WATER SYSTEM RELIABILITY58

Inter-Agency Cooperation59

Groundwater Storage61

Surface Storage66

CHAPTER 10: CONCLUSION70

REFERENCES72

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Water is essential to life. It is a primary building block in the cycle of life and an absolutely precious natural resource. We use water in our homes in a variety of ...