Groundwater Woes 

By Andrea Peck

I broke my broom today. Don't worry, it was getting old and rotted on the inside. It lasted past its prime considering I had gotten it at the Dollar Store many moons ago.  I was sweeping when it broke and I was sweeping so hard that it snapped. After the rain last week, my outdoor areas are pretty mucked up with fallen leaves and grainy roof dregs. It would have been so easy to hose the area.

 Unfortunately I cannot.

Not because I've been given orders by the Order Givers or that my water is shut off for non-payment.  No, we do not have a broken pipe.

The truth is that I figured it out. With Google it's easy.

I know, I know, we all do it. We turn on the tap, the water flows and we think nothing about it. Here and there an inkling of a thought may scuttle across the highway of your cranium and you may wonder what lies beyond your kitchen sink. So often, though, that pesky thought is shooed into those dark cobwebby areas. How could these intrusive ideas not be eclipsed when there are more immediate deliberations, such as long, hot showers or tumbles of laundry vying for our attention? Oh, for clean pristine patios and driveways! Oh, for a shiny car!

But Those Who Know Better do not view these thoughts as brain fleas. Drought in California is a current issue, one in which we can all concede has had its effect. We look for green San Luis Obispo hills and the hills, my friend, are not Alive with the Sound of Music. Increased population and modern ways have depleted the groundwater into an abysmal state. Many experts fear the worst – we may never truly recover.

It's embarrassing to admit, but I guess I just really did not know what this meant for me. I know that the drought is bad and getting worse, but where do I fit into this Monopoly Board? How am I contributing to our water woes and how can I help?

Well, let me tell you what I found out.

After researching, I learned what we all should know. I learned where my water comes from. As a resident of Los Osos, all of my water comes from groundwater. There is no hidden benefactor, no huge pipeline that carries my water. My water, every drop, comes from the ground beneath my feet.

Golden State Water has a tidy, old school office located near the grocery store. I went to that office, wanting to know this: when I water my yard, does this water feed into the groundwater and eventually end up in a well? Unequivocally, the answer is yes.

But, I see clearly now that I am also using and wasting this precious water.  According to Golden State Water, approximately 5 feet of groundwater is lost per year. This has been happening for “many, many years.” To boot, water quality diminishes as the supply declines.

I challenge all of you out there to find out where your water comes from. Visit your water district and find out how you, as an individual, fit into the jigsaw puzzle.  Maybe then, we can all put the pieces together and come up with a sustainable solution.

Oh, yeah, and get a broom.

….to be continued…

Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education Workshop

by Kim McCue  Master Gardener

Good nutrition is a key component to academic success, which is why the California Department of Education (CDE) launched the Garden in Every School Initiative in 1995.  Research shows that children who grow and harvest their own fruits and vegetables are more likely to eat them.  When this practice is coupled with nutrition education, studies show students increase their understanding of nutrition and develop healthier eating habits.  Furthermore, according to the CDE's School Garden Program Overview, a major study showed, “77 percent of students in environment-based education programs scored higher than their peers across all standardized tests and had higher grade point averages.”  To view the CDE's document please see http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/he/gardenoverview.asp#ref5.

The UCCE Master Gardeners' Garden-Based Learning program educates teachers and volunteers on how to plant and maintain a school vegetable garden and how to  incorporate state educational standards in the process. The program stands on the premise that a school vegetable garden teaches students how growing food locally provides nutritional and environmental benefits. Based on the CDE's report, a school garden may also provide additional academic benefits.

Readers interested in participating in ongoing school garden projects are invited to join  the Master Gardeners and UCCE Cal Fresh Program Nutrition Educator, Lisa Paniagua, this Saturday, March 8, for the Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education workshop.  The program is from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the UCCE Auditorium and Seven Sister's Demo Garden, 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo.  Online registration is required -  http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=12311.  

The workshop will train participants how to use existing school gardens to enhance nutrition education for children to promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. The cost is $30 per person.  The workshop includes hands-on activities in the garden and nutrition lessons including safe food handling practices. Each participant will receive a packet of information to help them get started at their school. Very important water saving signage and literature will be discussed and provided as well. Funding for the development and delivery of this workshop is provided by a California Department of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant.

Ol' Black Water

By Andrea Peck 

For the vast majority of us, that old black water keeps on rollin.'  Black water does roll, daily, hourly and most of us turn a blind eye as we flush it into the abyss that we call our plumbing.  Hardly a few of us would consider the stuff useful.

But the times, they are a changin' and the ability to reuse black and grey water has become a key player in water conservation.  You'll be proud to hear that California is on the top of the list when it comes to recycling the dirtiest of water.

Recently, I had the good fortune to attend an information session about the new “purple pipes” that are to be installed in San Simeon. San Simeon is a small community with most of the population living in condominiums that have active home owners associations. The hotel business is the main source of commerce.  According to one study done in recent years, approximately 450,000 gallons of potable water was used in a five month period by 7 of the 11 hotels for irrigation.  Slightly more water was used during the same time period by the homeowner's associations for irrigation.

San Simeon operates from a well system that has had difficulties with saltwater intrusion during years of low rainfall. 

Saltwater intrusion!

I know, you may want to close your eyes and pretend it doesn't exist, but the folks in San Simeon can taste the situation.

Clearly, something had to be done. So, after a permit process, equipment was purchased and finally, the details are slowly getting ironed out.

The system that was purchased, the HipOx, uses an oxidation process to disinfect the water, while eliminating trace levels of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting chemicals.  Its beauty lies in its oxidation process that leaves little to maintain and no filters to replace.

San Simeon hopes to have up to 90,000 gallons of available recycled water per day which will allow citizens to water their landscaping while conserving their potable water.

The best part? Before this solution, the town's regularly treated effluent was flushed into the ocean. San Simeon will now retain approximately 40 percent of that water and instead of it being wasted on the salty sea, it now has the opportunity to replenish their groundwater.

As it should be.

Photo by Jutta Thoerner

Lawn Replacement 

By Jutta Thoerner  Master Gardener

The Lawn has to go! Please help me to remove my thirsty lawn with inexpensive methods that do not involve machinery. Kathy H.  Creston.

Thank you, Kathy for deciding to remove your lawn during this difficult drought year. You might know that lawns typically use 50% more water than drought tolerant plantings. One option is solarization. You need a clear heavy duty plastic tarp that will cover the lawn. The edges need to be buried in the soil. During the summer months, temperatures up to 140 ⁰F can develop, killing not only your lawn but also any weed seeds. Another great benefit is that many soil born pathogens cannot survive these temperatures. Studies have shown that plants grown in solarized soil grow faster and stronger. The increased rate of breakdown of organic material (your lawn) facilitates the release of many soluble nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and calcium. Expect good solarization results in 6 weeks.

If you want to replant the area with drought resistant perennials during the fall (the best time to save water and ensure a good start of the new plants), the next method might be more suitable.  Cut the lawn as short as your mower allows. Use a spading fork to aerate and improve drainage. Cover the entire lawn, overlapping the material generously with any of the following: thick cardboard; burlap sacks, or newspaper at least 2 inches thick.  In a non-drought year, you would wet this layer using your irrigation system. But because we need to save water, skip this step or use your grey water, one bucket at a time. The next layer calls for some nitrogen rich material.  You can recycle your cut lawn clippings from step one.. Then in the fall, the lawn should be completely composted and you can plant into your new mulch .  The last layer in this modified layered composting method is a landscape material that you want to keep permanently in this area. Woodchips come in different sizes and colors.  Use gorilla mulch or stones if you do not want to landscape.