To help conserve water during another significant drought in the West, Canyon Estates – the 79-acre Palm Springs community known for its mid-century modern designed homes – will not scalp or overseed as is common practice for grass areas in the fall.
“Our Board of Directors agreed that in light of the drought in California, our community would skip overseeding,” said Canyon Estates HOA Board President Christopher Brodwell.
Though Coachella Valley water supplies are healthy, droughts in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and on the Colorado River are motivating families, businesses and communities across California to step up and save. On July 8, Governor Newsom called on Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent.
DWA encourages its customers to “go gold” by skipping the overseeding process and letting grass brown a bit during the winter months in order to reduce water use. This not only saves water, but could save homeowners hundreds of dollars between the seed and water needed for it to germinate. For properties that still overseed, Desert Water Agency has guidelines to follow to do it efficiently (www.dwa.org/overseeding).
“Canyon Estates not overseeding is a win-win,” said DWA Board President Kristin Bloomer. “The community will see savings on their landscaping and water bills and contribute to long-term sustainability of our most precious resource.”
Riverside County is not included in the state’s drought of emergency. Even though local conditions look good, DWA encourages locals to use water efficiently.
DWA aims to reduce use by ten to thirteen percent compared to 2013, the baseline year used during the last statewide drought. Over the past twelve months, water use is trending about 11 percent lower compared to 2013.
The Agency also offers alternatives to water intensive turf areas through its grass removal incentive. The program gives customers $2 per square foot of grass replaced. Other incentives available are for smart irrigation controllers, efficient nozzles, high efficiency washing machines and more. To learn more about incentives go to www.dwa.org/save.