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Lawns are the largest crop in the US, taking up over 40 million acres, and use around 270 billion gallons of water per week to maintain. Cutting out lawn and using native vegetation can be regenerative and reduce water usage. Personally, I turn off the water when sudsing in the shower or washing my hands. Every bit of conservation counts!
You are absolutely right. The same can be said for fertilizer. More fertilizer is used to keep lawns green in the USA then is used on farms to feed us. That is crazy.
A few years ago they did some studies on phosphorous pollution in lakes and they tried to blame it on us farmers. That was fine if we were to blame, but the numbers seemed really high. To make a long story short, it was quickly shown that farmers were not to blame, but rather home owners. It took 2 years to prove that though because farmers are easier to regulate then homeowners.
There is a terrible water shortage in California, and laws are very strict on how you use it. In some cities you can get a ticket for washing your car, watering your lawn too long, or in the wrong time of the day. The list of rules goes on and on, like hosing down your driveway will get you the firing squad..! It's a serious no-no.
We live in the desert, and water is precious. It is also VERY expensive, so we use every water saving means we can. In this area, the water company will pay you so much a square foot to remove your grass. You get rebates for installing low flow toilets, washers, etc. The WC gives out free low flow shower heads, which are required by law here. All new municipal lawns are watered with reclaimed water.
We have a half acre lot, with zero grass. It's all rocks and boulders, which fit nicely with the desert. We do have plants, but all are on a drip system.
People like the beekeeper who have never experienced living in a drought area should be very happy with what they have. When it doesn't rain for a couple of years, it makes things very interesting.
I agree that we have exactly the same amount of water on the planet today as we had when the world started, but it isn't evenly distributed. Rain is very rare here, perhaps a few times a year, on a good year... It rains more in Oregon in a month than it does here in a couple of years.. Just proved God has a sense of humor...
... People like the beekeeper who have never experienced living in a drought area should be very happy with what they have. When it doesn't rain for a couple of years, it makes things very interesting. I agree that we have exactly the same amount of water on the planet today as we had when the world started, but it isn't evenly distributed. Rain is very rare here, perhaps a few times a year, on a good year... It rains more in Oregon in a month than it does here in a couple of years.. Just proved God has a sense of humor...
FYI;
I was born in a hospital in Modesto California. I grew up in Southern California.
My grandparents were 'Okies' who moved to California during the Dust Bowl. They farmed and had dairies in Oakdale and Riverbank California.
As a child, I lived on a farm between Ceres and Greyson. My family were farmers. We got weaner calves and drop calves in the spring from local dairies, bottle fed them and turned them out to pasture. In the falls we sold most of them to feed lots, and maybe kept a few for ourselves.
We had almond orchards and we sharecropped neighboring almond orchards.
My eldest sister married into grapes near Turlock, they have 400 acre of Zinfandel grapes.
My parents still are involved with farming out West.
My siblings, nieces and nephews, all still live in the Central Valley of California.
As I native California farmer, I do have some idea of what conditions are like in California.
I choose a military career, as a retiree I choose to settle and farm in an area where droughts, earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes are not a factor of life.
Because I choose to settle in a wet area does not mean that I have no knowledge of drought areas. It is the reason why I made this choice.
In downtown Modesto, in front of the railroad station, within sight of the Libbys and Del Monte canneries, stands an arch. It gives the motto of Modesto: "Water is prosperity".
Also:
'Apple Valley" was named as such by 'Ursula M. Poates' who in 1900 planted 3 apple trees in a marketing strategy to lure prospective buyers to live in the Mojave Desert.
Would you have thought that Mojave desert would be known for having a lot of potable water?
100 years ago that small region of the desert may have had enough water to sustain 3 apple trees. Today Victory Valley [Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Barstow, Adelanto, and 15 other smaller towns] has a population of over 350,000 people.
Growing from 1 lady and her 3 trees out in the desert, to 350,000 people, is anyone surprised to hear of water shortages?
Is there anything else you wish to know about California?
Last edited by Submariner; 03-17-2009 at 01:13 PM..
My thrilled you are so well versed on California history, It proves you know how to google..! Other than that, all that rambling proved nothing. It was without any point, other than to prove you like to hear yourself talk. I didn't make a post to get into an argument, but I have read many of your post over the years, and know that arguing is your forte.
It's not just the high desert that is having a severe drought, it's the whole southwest part of the US. Would you suggest everyone in Calif, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and a few other places, all move in next door to you..? Then you would have a water shortage...
I never stated you didn't have knowledge of drought, I said you should be happy that where you live, there is no water shortage.
Yes, we have an occasional earthquake, some water shortage, and a few other problems, but I wouldn't leave here for anything, and especially not to live where you do, which I'm sure has it's own geological problems, like outrageous blizzards and snow. I prefer 120 degree days to blizzards....
It's a very good thing everything doesn't have the same taste, or all of the millions of people in the US would be living in the same town... Pretty boring, huh..?
Please, enjoy where you live, I know I sure enjoy where I live.... Next time you visit Modesto, stop by, I'll buy you a bottle of water...
You needn't bother to respond, I have no desire to hear anything more you have to say...
My thrilled you are so well versed on California history, It proves you know how to google..! Other than that, all that rambling proved nothing.
It was to explain that I am a California native, familiar with droughts and the importance of water is drought susceptible regions.
Quote:
... It's not just the high desert that is having a severe drought, it's the whole southwest part of the US. Would you suggest everyone in Calif, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and a few other places, all move in next door to you..?
Live in a desert and expect to see droughts. I would not think it was all that difficult an image.
Not all of the Southwest is desert, then again not all of the Southwest has water shortages either.
Quote:
... Then you would have a water shortage...
Please, let us not air your ignorance further.
Quote:
... I never stated you didn't have knowledge of drought, I said you should be happy that where you live, there is no water shortage.
My apology then
"People like the beekeeper who have never experienced living in a drought area should be very happy with what they have. When it doesn't rain for a couple of years, it makes things very interesting."
Sounded to me like you were saying that I had no knowledge of drought.
Something in the: "have never experienced living in a drought area" part actually. In case you missed it.
Call me out for a fight [as you did] and you have one. the more so when it is built upon fiction.
Quote:
... Yes, we have an occasional earthquake, some water shortage, and a few other problems, but I wouldn't leave here for anything, and especially not to live where you do, which I'm sure has it's own geological problems, like outrageous blizzards and snow. I prefer 120 degree days to blizzards....
It's a very good thing everything doesn't have the same taste, or all of the millions of people in the US would be living in the same town... Pretty boring, huh..?
Please, enjoy where you live, I know I sure enjoy where I live.... Next time you visit Modesto, stop by, I'll buy you a bottle of water...
You needn't bother to respond, I have no desire to hear anything more you have to say...
I have seen blizzards though they were in my Naval career. I have not seen a blizzard since though.
IMHO anyone who lives in a desert should know that they live in a desert.
Droughts are a normal part of desert living.
A lack of water is a part of the definition of 'desert'.
I dont think thats legal here, but imagine how much water we'd save?
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