Granite Bay goes brown to conserve water.
As opposed to drought shaming I decided to highlight the many properties near Folsom Lake who were going the extra mile to conserve water during our nasty drought of 2015. The Granite Bay area and the San Juan Water District retail service area have been singled out for some of the highest per capita water use in Northern California. But that doesn’t necessarily mean these residents, of which I am one, are profligate water wasters. There are many reason for our relatively high water consumption compared to other residential areas. In part, cheap water combined with residential home lots originally designed for large swaths of turf lured many Granite Bay, Folsom, and Roseville homeowners to pour on the water to keep it green.
Granite Bay going brown to conserve water
In response to the request to reduce water consumption by at least 36% over 2013 usage, many residents have just let their front yard turf just die. As I drove around the Granite Bay area and other communities served by the San Juan Water District I noticed more brown or dead grass as spring has turned into summer. These residents should be celebrated for making an aesthetic sacrifice to their properties. Even though they are allowed to water two days per week, many have chosen to let their turf grass die altogether. By potentially conserving more than 36%, they are helping other property owners who may not be in a position to conserve any more than they are already doing. The rest of California should know that there are many residents in Granite Bay that take the drought seriously and are doing their part to reduce their water consumption.
Based my observations, Granite Bay should easily meet the 36% reduction in water consumption as mandated by the State Water Resources Control Board. Here are just a few of the properties that are conserving water by letting their front yard grass go brown throughout the San Juan Water District retail service area. See also “Killing grass with mulch to conserve water”
Residential properties going brown to save water
