Can Californians Keep Their Lawns?
Winter’s massive rains have filled California’s reservoirs, blessed the snow pack, and brought waterfalls and ancient lakes back to life.
In some parts of the state, the precipitation has also revived something that was once thought to be a thing of the past: green lawns.
Last spring, when California was still in a worsening drought, Jeff Fox and Amy Bach dried the grass in their backyard in San Francisco. They covered their parched lawn with bark chips, added some succulents and well-placed stones, and welcomed their new, drought-friendly landscape. They were among the thousands of people who have given up on the California dream of a single-family home surrounded by a lush, manicured lawn.
Then this winter, the Bay Area, like much of the state, was ravaged by massive amounts of rain. By January, the lawn was “back fuller and greener than ever before,” Fox told me. “We were totally surprised.”
Now that the rainy season is over, Fox and many other Californians are wondering what to do with their lawns. Is it wise to water them, or should they be ripped out? For people who didn’t give up their lawn last year, does the resurgence mean they never have to?
I decided to ask some experts.
Julie Saare-Edmonds, senior environmental scientist for the California Department of Water Resources, was clear in her advice: Californians still need to replace their lawns with climate-resilient landscaping “as we prepare for an eventual return to dry conditions,” she told me.
As The New York Times has reported, California’s water problems are not gone for good; they have merely taken a backseat. A warmer climate has intensified the state’s weather whiplash, the rapid changes between dry and wet periods. So the state will have stronger winter storms at times, like this year, but also longer and more intense droughts.
“Californians can’t help but brace themselves as they prepare for a hotter and drier future due to climate change,” Saare-Edmonds said in an email. “As a state, we must embrace water conservation as a way of life, rain or shine.”
Grass fields are particularly water-intensive. Most of California’s residential water is used outdoors, largely to irrigate yards. It is quite a task to keep non-native plants alive in a state that receives no rain during the hottest months.
Jay Lund, a vice director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, said the wet winter allows Fox and other homeowners like him “to have a partial lawn for free until the lawn dries out.” But after that, he would recommend replacing the lawn with native plants with low water requirements.
Laura Ramos, interim director of research and education at the California Water Institute in Cal State Fresno, also said lawn owners can keep them this year as long as they give them up again next year. In other words, you can choose to enjoy this year’s reprieve, but it’s best to move on with the tough choices you’ll eventually have to make.
“Water that is stored in wet years is water that can potentially be stored for our water suppliers to use in future years,” Ramos said in an email. “Because future precipitation is uncertain, we encourage Californians to continue their conservation efforts and make it a way of life.”
Where we travel
Today’s tip comes from Shelley Diamond, who lives in Los Angeles:
“Bishop is a gateway to the eastern Sierra where you can hike, fish, climb and photograph. It’s also a shopping mall for outdoor enthusiasts – Eastside Sports is considered one of the best in the country. Great Basin Bakery will fuel you as you make your way up the steep Sierra escarpment that crowns this cool little town.
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
Tell us
We are approaching the middle of 2023. What are the best things that have happened to you so far this year? What have your victories been? Or your unexpected joys, big or small?
Let me know at CAToday@nytimes.com. Please include your full name and the city where you live.
And before you go, good news
Across California, thousands of students are graduating not only from high school, but from an educational experience deeply shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic. While the time was undoubtedly difficult, some feel stronger and more prepared for what comes next. This is reported by Mercury News.
“Who’s to say they’ve been through a global pandemic and still made it through school — and it hasn’t held them back?” Ellis Chhourn, who graduated from Oakland High School last month, told the news outlet. “We were able to maneuver, find different ways to get an education and persevere. I feel like, because of all of this, it makes our year special.
Thank you for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumja
PS Here it is today’s mini crossword.
Briana Scalia and Johnna Margalotti contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.
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