Media
LA lawns lose lots of water: 70B gallons a year
City's rich and famous lose twice as much as poor; trees relatively efficient
In summer 2010, Los Angeles was losing about 100 gallons of water per person per day to the atmosphere through the evaporation and plant uptake of lawns and trees. Lawns accounted for 70 percent of the water loss, while trees accounted for 30 percent. Read more
To save water on lawns, throw some shade
University of Utah study compares lawn watering recommendations to actual turfgrass water use in Los Angeles
How much water does your lawn really need? A University of Utah study re-evaluated lawn watering recommendations by measuring water use by lawns in Los Angeles. The standard model of turfgrass water needs, they found, lacked precision in some common urban southern California conditions. Read more
To save water on lawns, plant a tree
After four years of terrible drought, last winter brought a little reprieve for water-starved California. The heavy rain and snow filled reservoirs and built up the snowpack. It made enough of a dent in the drought that the Water Resources Control Board eased its statewide water restrictions to allow regions with more water supply to conserve less this summer. But though people will be able to water their lawns again, the drought is far from over. The state is working on regulations that will help them reduce water use by 20 percent or more. Read more
U of U study looks at importance of shade when watering
It is possible you are watering too much, because you haven't taken shade into account
UCI's cloned redwoods rooted in research
Grove fell short of great expectations but has proven valuable in Earth system science studies
UC Irvine’s redwoods sit like forlorn Christmas trees near the campus power plant and the Crawford Hall parking lot. They’re miniatures of Northern California’s ancient giants, a dwarf grove with drooping branches. But they’re still standing. The trees began life with fanfare three decades ago. Read more