It should come as no surprise to anyone residing in Southern California that this state is working on its third consecutive year of drought conditions.  For a region that is essentially a semi-arid desert, any decrease in our yearly rainfall can be detrimental to our water stores – our county reservoirs are currently holding about 50% capacity.  That combined with reduced access to the water we would normally import has left us in quite a pickle.

Northern California and the Colorado River are among the sources that supply nearly 90 percent of the water to San Diego County.  Our supply from Northern California has been cut due to an operation to protect a small endangered fish known as the Delta Smelt and its vital habitat.   The Colorado River is suffering from its own drought conditions and is quickly becoming a less viable source of long-term water for San Diego.

Last year in an effort to keep water flowing for the city’s residential and business customers, San Diego called on its agricultural community to cut back water usage.  In the mid 1990’s, most farmers in San Diego entered into an agreement giving them a discount on water with the condition that they would be the first to face mandatory rationing when the water supply dropped too low.  The farmers had to face the harsh reality of tilling under portions of their crops and cutting down trees because there was simply not enough water to go around.

As someone who cares deeply about sustainable agriculture I am reluctant to completely support farmers who use imported water to grow crops in an environment that nature would claim as a dessert.  However, I am even less supportive of individual residents, businesses and city landscapers who waste a huge percent of our water supply on water thirsty plants and lush green lawns.  According to the San Diego County Water Authority, “sixty percent of the water used by single-family residences in San Diego is for landscaping.”  I understand the desire for green spaces around our homes, but have seen the potential for unbridled, non-irrigated green growth without excessive watering.The vacant lot at the end of my street has stood idle for the last three years, and on its own has grown into a grassy green hill.  While it may have benefited from the run off from watered lawns further up the hill, it shows nature’s propensity to thrive unmanaged.

Although San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has been talking about the possibility of water rationing within the general population as early as summer 2009, he is still only calling for voluntary conservation at this point.  The Mayor has schedule a series of three workshops to discuss fair ways to implement rationing, and is looking for insight from the public.

I would like to see San Diego County take the following steps in order to deal with it’s long term water problems.

• A citywide mandate prohibiting the use of nonnative plants in landscaping.  Native plants are better adapted to live in a dry environment and would significantly cut back on our water needs.  I would make an exception for food bearing plants.

• Preferential service for agriculture, including a water discount for farmers, especially those who sell their products locally.  Agriculture is good for the local economy, and necessary for sustaining our bodies.

• Multi-family energy efficient dishwasher rebates.  There are already rebates available for both single-family homes and multi-family residence that focus on high efficiency toilettes and clothes washers, as well as outdoor money saving opportunities.

• A widespread, well-organized public awareness campaign promoting the San Diego County Water Authority’s programs and incentives.  While searching their website, I learned about several programs run by the water authority to promote conservation.  However, their website was difficult to navigate, and I have not encountered the information through any other media outlets.

I have watched the government officials in San Diego struggle and fail to find a way to maintain an adequate water supply to residents, without requiring the community to conserve.  Time and time again I am left befuddled at their resistance to make demands that might inconvenience taxpayers.  I see it happening at all levels of government - the city won’t ask us to stop watering our lawns to save water, the state won’t raise our taxes to ensure a balanced budget with enough money for education and social services, the federal government won’t ask us to make the lifestyle changes that would immediately end our dependence on foreign oil and put us at the forefront of the fight against global warming.  Maybe I am naïve, but I still believe that the American people are willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, but nobody’s asking them to.

The public workshops on water rationing will be held on Feb. 9 at Otay Mesa-Nestor branch library, 3003 Coronado Ave, Feb. 10 at Rancho Peñasquitos branch library, 13330 Salmon River Road, and Feb. 12 at the War Memorial Building in Balboa Park, Room 3, 2125 Park Blvd.