The District Weekly - Latest Comments in WATER DEPT IS ALWAYS IN A DRY MOOD

Re: WATER DEPT IS ALWAYS IN A DRY MOOD

JoeWeinstein — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:52:53 -0000

Thanks for quoting Matt Lyons, who is totally correct.

He has identified one of the two big reasons - inappropriate water-guzzling landscaping - why we are being kept from having ample and readily affordable water supplies without worries as to where more water may come from. Such landscaping is needless. California native shrubs (as in our front yard and many others') not only are tuned to the rainfall that we get, and require minimum maintenance, but also if planted in sufficient variety give attractive blooms all year round. Right now, toyons are presenting gorgeous and very seasonal red berries. In a couple months we can expect blue and white blooms of ceanothus (Calif. lilac - long popular in England!), and red fuschia-flowered gooseberries.

The other reason is Long Beach' amazing surplus of needlessly impermeable hardscape (on wide streets, parking lots, and concreted or asphalted yards). This hardscape converts what should be a ready benefit of local rain - inexpensive recharge of ground water - into an expensive problem instead - rapid runoff and flooding, requiring piping to remove further and wastefully to the ocean.

Before agreeing to 'invest' any big sums in pavement and piping 'infrastructure' (as was the stated intent of the recently defeated Measure I, and apparently still massively on the mayor's wish list of goodies desired from the Obama administration), Long Beach citizens should insist that existing needlessly impermeable paving be replaced by permeable surface.

Re: WATER DEPT IS ALWAYS IN A DRY MOOD

JoeWeinstein — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:49:38 -0000

Thanks for quoting Matt Lyons, who is on target and quite correct.

He has identified one of the two big reasons - inappropriate water-guzzling landscaping - why we are being kept from having ample and readily affordable water supplies without worries as to where more water may come from. Such landscaping is needless. California native shrubs (as in our front yard and many others) not only are tuned to the rainfall that we get, and require minimum maintenance, but also if planted in sufficient variety give attractive blooms all year round. Right now, toyons are presenting gorgeous and very seasonal red berries. In a couple months we can expect blue and white blooms of ceanothus (Calif. lilac - long popular in England!), and red fuschia-flowered gooseberries.

Before agreeing to 'invest' any big sums to update or maintain pavement and piping 'infrastructure' (as was the stated intent of the recently defeated Measure I, and apparently still massively on the mayor's wish list of goodies desired from the Obama administration), Long Beach citizens should insist on updating of needlessly impermeable pavement to permeable surface.