Dear Editor: California faces one of the most severe droughts on record so now is the time to save water.

More than 70 percent of the water we use is outside the homes by washing walks, driveways, lawns, shrubs, washing vehicles, and a myriad of other ways. The many ways we waste water indicates we are not aware of the great danger we are in each day as we use and waste our precious supply of water.

On my frequent early morning walks in town, it is interesting to see our many sprinkling systems wasting water. Many broken sprinkler heads shooting water into the street and then cascading into the gutter. Now is the time to cut back our great desire for a green lawn. To see what our lawns may soon look like just drive by the northwest corner of Muller and Birchdale; these three yards have never had any water except from winter rains.

Major John Westley Powell during his day was best known for his thrilling adventure running the canyons of the Colorado River in wooden boats. From there he went on to help found and lead the U.S. Geological Survey. Our great water problems today were best said by him in a speech he made in Los Angeles in October 1893: “When all the rivers are used, when all the creeks in the ravines, when all the brooks, when all the springs are used, when all the reservoirs along the streams are used, when all the canyon waters are taken up, when all the artesian waters are taken up, when all the wells are sunk or dug that can be dug in all this arid region, there is still not sufficient water to irrigate all this arid region.”

Byron Dillon

Downey

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Published: June 19, 2014 - Volume 13 - Issue 10