© 2011 Wendy Dager

It's been nine years since we gave Leaf-let readers the history of the debacle that is Owens Lake (http://www.albrightseed.com/owenslake.htm). We took you back to 1913, when the Los Angeles Aqueduct opened for business, with water from Owens River pumping into its reservoirs hundreds of miles to the south.

That auspicious occasion marked the beginning of the end for Owens Lake, which had lost its primary source of water—annual runoff from the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range, which had been captured by the new aqueduct.

The lake’s undoing was primarily due to the ambitions of then water department chief William Mulholland and the need for water in Los Angeles. At the aqueduct’s opening ceremony, Mulholland announced to Los Angeles officials: “There it is. Take it.”

And “take it” they did, eventually causing Owens Lake to become a biohazard—an alkaline dust bed containing cadmium, arsenic and other carcinogens.

In 2002, S&S Seeds teamed with Earthworks Construction & Design habitat consultant Margot Griswold and CH2M Hill project design engineers to assist the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in its efforts to turn the dry, environmentally hazardous Owens Lake into an area safe for humankind.

Five years after that Leaf-let article, we gave a status update on Owens Lake (http://www.ssseeds.com/leaf-let/saltgrassofearth.htm), reporting that the use of S&S Seeds’-provided saltgrass was helping to control dust on 2,200 acres of lakebed.

Despite this small victory, Southern California water usage continues to fuel the fight between corporations, environmentalists, politicians and those most affected—hapless consumers at the mercy of fees set by regulatory agencies. For instance, it was recently reported that the average utility bill for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers will increase by $19 over the next three years. DWP General Manager Ron Nichols said an annual increase of five percent is necessary because the DWP must comply with new environmental requirements.

There are similar examples in other California cities. In January, The Moorpark (Ventura County) City Council voted to raise its citizens’ water rates by 12 percent. The San Diego County Water Authority also voted this past June to increase water rates by more than seven percent. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders insisted that he will fight to see that the hike will not be passed on to customers and accused the Metropolitan Water District of artificially increasing the water bills of San Diegans. While Sanders’ vow is admirable, this is an uphill battle, and, as everyone knows, water doesn’t flow uphill.

Despite California’s record rainfall in 2011, many residents are still subject to fee raises over which they have no say and for which they aren’t receiving proper explanations. While theories abound regarding the mismanagement of California’s water supply, there are those (Cadillac Desert, http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~martins/hydro/case_studies/cadillac_desert.htm) who believe that much of California’s water woes stem from overbuilding and misuse of dams. This includes the infamous St. Francis Dam, another of Mulholland’s projects and the cause of his eventual undoing after it burst in 1928, killing an estimated 600 people. Another dubious structure is the Hoover Dam, which has negatively impacted the Colorado River Delta by reducing the water flow to a trickle and devastating populations of native fish and plants, and depriving Mexico of its just share of usable Colorado River water.

While there are those who struggle for a resolution to a problem that’s caused untold damage to the environment, as well as anger and confusion among California residents, there are ways for landscape contractors, golf course managers, homeowners and others to mitigate the fallout.

S&S Seeds recommends the use of native turfgrasses in housing developments, parks, golf courses and other areas that are aesthetically enhanced by going green. These grasses also provide the added benefit of water efficiency and absorption of stormwater. In the box below is a list of grasses that are a product of Delta Bluegrass Co. and sold by S&S Seeds, Delta Bluegrass Co.’s regional distributor. These are California native grass sod blends that, once established, will require fifty percent less water than traditional sod varieties.

They are pre-established on biodegradable netting and can be used in bioswales and retention basins, to assist in water conservation and for erosion control and riparian restoration.

For more information about our native grasses and other products, visit our website at http://www.ssseeds.com or call our helpful staff at (805) 684-0436. All our products come with an extra ingredient at no extra cost—35+ years of experience!

Biofiltration Sod™ - Purple Needlegrass, California Barley, Meadow Barley, Molate Fescue—A combination of coarse and medium bladed fescue—Reduces soil erosion and provides an excellent weed barrier—Withstands extreme heat in full sun conditions—Will recharge and purify groundwater, clean the air and offer fire protection Delta Native Heartland Sod™ - Purple Needlegrass, Nodding Needlegrass, Molate Fescue, California Barley—Fine to medium leaf blades—Excellent drought tolerance—Grows in full sun and partial shade—Creates a naturally diverse habitat for wildlife Native Preservation Mix™ - Junegrass, Purple Needlegrass, Nodding Needlegrass, Molate Fescue—Excellent for sloped hillsides, median and roadside applications—Narrow fine-leafed texture—Naturally drought resistant—Withstands partial shade and full sun Native Mow Free™ - Western Mokelumne Fescue, Idaho Fescue, Molate Fescue—Contains two native fine fescues and one highly naturalized variety—Excellent shade and cold tolerance—Deep green glossy leaves—Slow growing, narrow leafed grass with blades that are very lax and flexuous—Provides soil stabilization for sloped areas Native Bentgrass™ - Agrostis pallens—Uniform growth habit and medium leaf texture—Thrives in full sun and partial shade—Withstands low mowing heights—Strong sod mat provides effective weed barrier—Extremely drought tolerant—Excellent wear recovery due to self-repairing rhizomes Delta Grassland Mix™ - Junegrass, Slender Hairgrass, Molate Fescue—Narrow fine leafed texture—Moderate wear resistance—Slow growing, tuft forming, clumping grass—Persists under drought conditions—Prefers to grow in partial shade and tolerates full sun

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