Drought
Help Keep Woodland "The City of Trees"
As you cut back on water use during this historic drought, you may not realize the impact this will have on your landscape trees. Trees in irrigated landscapes become dependent on regular watering. When watering is reduced - and especially when it’s stopped completely - trees will die.
Benefits
Tree loss is a very costly problem: not only in expensive tree removal, but also in the loss of all the benefits trees provide.
Your trees provide an immense range of health, energy, environmental, and economic benefits:
- Trees improve air and water quality
- Trees provide shade to the landscape and reduce water needs
- Trees help keep your home cooler
- Trees slow stormwater runoff and help recharge groundwater
- Trees reduce soil erosion
- Trees add value - sometimes thousands of dollars worth - to your home and neighborhood
Trees take a long time to grow. Without helping our trees through the drought, we risk losing these benefits. While the drought may not last long, it can harm or kill trees, and it will take 10, 20, or even 50-plus years to grow trees and get back the benefits.
Legislative Update
On May 10, 2021, Governor Newsom declared a drought emergency which included Yolo County.
On March 28, 2022 Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-7-22 which calls on local water suppliers to move to, at a minimum, Level Two of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans. In order to meet these requirements, the Woodland City Council proclaimed a Stage Two Water Warning at its meeting on Tuesday, May 10. The intention of issuing a Stage Two Water Warning is to achieve a 20% reduction in water use compared to our normal water demand. To view the City of Woodland Press Release, click here.
The following are the requirements of the Stage Two Water Warning as passed by the City Council:
- All water costumers (residential, commercial and industrial) are to reduce water use by 20% of their normal water demand. However, residential users whose total water use is already below the State provisional standard of 55 gallons per person per day will not be required to further reduce their water use.
- Hosing of hardscape surfaces except for health and safety purposes is prohibited.
- Water hoses must be equipped with a hose nozzle capable of completely shutting off the flow of water.
- Outdoor watering is restricted to 3 days per week. Water customers are encouraged to continue watering trees.
- Restaurants shall serve water only upon request.
By following these requirements we will be able to conserve water, reduce our reliance on native groundwater wells and maintain a higher level of water quality throughout the summer months.
Doing a little every day to cut back on your water consumption helps reduce the amount of groundwater being used in our systems for all Woodland residents.
The City will issue further drought status updates as conditions evolve. For questions or concerns, contact our Water Conservation program at (530) 661-2067 or e-mail Conserve.Water@CityofWoodland.org.
2022 Drought Regulations
On March 28, 2022 Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-7-22 which calls on local water suppliers to move to, at a minimum, Level Two of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans.
2021 Drought Regulations
On April 21 and May 10, 2021, Governor Newsom declared a drought emergency in a total of 41 counties due to severe drought conditions. As of July 8, that proclamation has been expanded to include nice additional counties. Bringing the total of 50 out of 58 counties now being under a drought emergency.
On July 8, 2021 Governor Newson issued an executive order calling on all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15% compared to 2020 levels. As the California drought worsens, residents are encouraged to take actions such as:
- Reducing landscape irrigation. As much as 50 percent of residential water use goes to outdoor irrigation, and much of that is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. Watering one day less per week, not watering during or immediately after rainfall, watering during
the cooler parts of the day and using a weather-based irrigation controller can reduce irrigation water use, saving nearly 8,800 gallons of water per year. - Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full. Full laundry loads can save 15–45 gallons per load. Full dishwasher cycles can save 5–15 gallons per load.
- Finding and fixing leaks. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste nearly 3,200 gallons per year.
- Install water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers. Keeping showers under five minutes can save 12.5 gallons per shower when using a water-efficient showerhead.
- Using a shut-off nozzle on hoses and taking cars to commercial car washes that use recycled water.
2016 Drought Regulations
On May 18, 2016, the State Water Board adopted an emergency water conservation regulation that replaces the February 2 emergency regulation. The May 2016 regulation that will be in effect from June 2016 through January 2017 requires locally developed conservation standards based upon each agency’s specific circumstances. It replaces the prior percentage reduction-based water conservation standard with a localized “stress test” approach.
Requirements
These standards require local water agencies to ensure a three-year supply assuming three more dry years like the ones the state experienced from 2012 to 2015. Water agencies that would face shortages under three additional dry years will be required to meet a conservation standard equal to the amount of shortage. Woodland does not have a shortage and therefor does not have a state-mandated conservation standard.
As directed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in Executive Order B-37-16, the Board will separately take action to make some of the requirements of the regulation permanent.
For more information, please visit the State of California Water Boards website.
Calculating Water Supply Reliability
In the News
California has come to be defined just as much by the drought as it is by Silicon Valley, agriculture, or Hollywood. Stay up-to-date with drought news with the following Daily News Updates: