‘Sneaker’ Storm May Help in a Backhanded Way

The weekend ‘sneaker’ storm that came in earlier and stayed longer than we expected did nothing to raise our lake levels during the exceptional drought. What it will do, is lower usage, if residents and commercial property owners turn off their outside irrigation for a week or more.

That will not only save water, but water bills will go down.

Surprisingly, even a year after Governor Jerry Brown urged residents to cut back water use statewide by 20 percent, that goal has not been met. It’s only about half that level.

Santa Barbara Resident Ron Richardson can’t believe it. “It’s a shame. A lot of people just don’t have the common sense, it’s amazing,” he said about the lack of conservation during the dire conditions.

One resident Sammi Butler saves water from her shower and sink for her outside landscaping, rain or shine. “Oh yes. My garden is doing great,” she said.

Many brown lawns have made a comeback with the recent rain. Residents and business owners do not have to turn on their outside landscaping for at least a week and maybe more because of the soaking the root system has from the soggy weekend.

“I have a rental house and I have it completely turned off because of the ocean and the fog along with the sandy soil,” said Richardson.

One resident says the new grass with the recent rain looks healthier since it was essentially wiped out in the drought.

“So it definitely by nature adapts properly to these droughts and it rests. Then it comes back with fury when it gets the rain,” said Allen Anderson. He says his lawn is lush and full even better than when he was watering it during the early stages of the drought.

He admits, though, he now will have to start mowing once again.