Drought and extreme fire conditions in January? Generally this time of year we focus on storm preparedness, safe driving in the rain, flood safety and erosion concerns. But drought?
Droughts are also persisting elsewhere. Portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Kansas, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho and Oklahoma are drought prone as well. Will we have enough water to plant crops, water livestock or keep trees and vines alive? What about golf? Will we be playing on greens or browns? Wait until personal use at home is rationed. Your car? We all love ours, but it’s going to be dirty! How about snow skiing? Let’s scratch that! What a tremendous personal and economic impact this can have on us.
Did I mention the harm droughts cause to wildlife? The drought doesn’t bode well for California’s wildfire season either. People say that the fire season is starting early, but I guess you could say it never ended. An example is the recent Colby fire in the foothills of Glendora, destroying homes and over 2,000 acres.
No pun intended, but this is only a “drop in the bucket” of things to concern ourselves with. We love to enjoy and boast about our weather; however, this drought is a wake-up call to re-examine all of our water uses and redouble the commitment to conserve every possible drop.
For additional “Water Wise Tips” contact your local city hall or water department and visit the Be Water Wise website.