February 20, 2018
Sustainable Landscaping Guidebooks Available Countywide

Free copies of a popular guidebook for environmentally friendly landscape upgrades are now available to residents countywide, thanks to a second printing of the San Diego Sustainable Landscape Guidelines by the Water Authority.  Homeowners who commit to meeting rigorous sustainable landscaping design standards may also qualify for a financial incentive to help offset project costs. 

Residents can pick up the 71-page, spiral-bound books at the front desk of the Water Authority's Kearny Mesa headquarters, and at 18 other locations in San Diego, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Oceanside, San Marcos, Spring Valley and Bonita. 

Reprints of the guide were made possible by a Proposition 84 grant from the California Department of Water Resources.  

Water Authority Tests Drone Technology

The Water Authority is testing the potential for using drones to help monitor aqueduct rights of way that are not easily accessible by foot or vehicle.

In one test, a consultant shot video using a drone over the Second Aqueduct in an area of steep terrain west of Interstate 15, just south of the San Luis Rey River. 

Besides providing a bird's-eye view, the test flight showed that the photographic resolution from the drone was 10 times higher than stock aerial imagery. Another benefit of using a drone is that it provides details about land that is difficult to reach on foot.

Learn How to Create a WaterSmart Landscape This Spring 

With new landscaping workshops scheduled this spring, homeowners throughout San Diego County now have more opportunities to learn how to convert high-water-use turf areas into beautiful, water-efficient landscapes.

Free, three-hour workshops teach homeowners the basics of landscape makeovers. Topics include soil, design, turf removal, plant selection, planning, irrigation, rainwater catchment and implementation. Registration is required. 

Upcoming workshops:
  • Tuesday, March 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Encinitas
  • Saturday, March 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Escondido
  • Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Vista
  • Saturday, April 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Ramona
Did You See?

On February 13, KPBS aired and published a story about San Diego County's water supply reliability. Despite dry winter conditions, the region has sufficient water supplies for 2018 and the foreseeable future thanks to ratepayer investments in drought-resilient resources.

"We'd like to see more precipitation. But we're prepared. And we spend billions of dollars and several decades preparing for years like this, and stretches of years like this," Dennis Cushman, assistant general manager for the Water Authority, told KPBS.


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