"Severe" Drought

[swimmer8866]

Tell me why Raleigh has not put pipes in Kerr Lake? Jordan Lake and the quarry in castle hayne near wilmington?? Heck all of wake county should do it. 1 million people by 2012. Now someone will say oh we will need a study and it would cost so much and its too far away. Bull, look at NYC their water supply is up in the catskills! Over 100 miles north!! Please, this area and the goodoleboy network and the we will pray for rain types didn't want to spend the money! Period. Bottom line you get what ya pay for, or for this situation you don't get water cause there is not enough!

[Jones_]

I think there is a lot of mismanagement going on in Raleigh, concerning the drought and the growth in general. From what's been written on this forum, depending on the accuracy, Falls Lake didn't have much of a chance no matter how many restrictions were put on the citizens. It seems as though, steps to draw water from Jordan Lake should have been taken a long time ago as well as enforcing better water-restriction policy, instead of everyone wondering what's going to happen next.

[DPK]

Falls Lake is featured in a Newsweek piece called "Losing Our Lakes". We're slide #4 if memory serves me right.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/110949

[swimmer8866]

I happen to be a former coworker of one of deputy utility directors and I promise you, their hands are quite tied.....want a new federal resevoir? you need congressional support. little river? Lake Benson...already being worked on. approving subdivision after after subdivision....not up to them(public utilities folks). The existing state of the world simply could not respond to a situation this region has never encountered on this scale. The plans for Little River and Lake Benson actually fall well in line with predictions about water usage, expected growth and typical historical rainfall...dry and abundant......we just got hit with the perfect storm , as the worst drought hit right when more new lawns, equipped with automatic sprinklers than ever started sucking down everything. My little math a few posts ago shows what an overwhelming impact yard watering, all on its own, has on our water supply. If it were up to me, I would ban aesthetic yard watering of all types, forever, whether its reuse ("grey") water or not. Essential uses would certainly include maintenance of things like cars, home gardens, possbily permit food facilitys that operate at over 10% of the deeded tract at a minimal charge like $5(allows BIG gardens essentially for grandma), power washing comapnies would be in business, so would golf courses by permit,....but yard of the month via fescue would not be on the back of the potable or reuse systems.

[swimmer8866]

But I am still scratching my head here in the Raleigh area. We are about 9 inches down rainwise since 1/06 . 40 inches has fallen instead of about 49 inches. Tell me why Jordan Lake Today is ABOVE summer pool of 216 feet. In fact we were there yesterday and its pushing 217 feet! Over 100% full. Falls lake is up to 49% full. Down 8 feet. It is total mismangaement of falls Lake. The fact that the lake dropped so fast and politicians DID NOT STOP OUTDOOR WATERING last summer drained the lake. Raleigh in august was using almost 70 million gallons a day. Today they are using about 39 million gallons a day. 31 million gallons more in summer???? Yes that is almost 2X what its using in winter. NO OUTDOOR WATERING!!!

But the powers did not want to rock the boat and the GOODOLBOY network well.....

[DPK]

Drive through some of the more expensive neighborhoods at around 3-4am and you'll see some sprinklers kick on still. I'm not even kidding you.

[swimmer8866]

Drive through some of the more expensive neighborhoods at around 3-4am and you'll see some sprinklers kick on still. I'm not even kidding you.

[Jones_]

give some addresses and I'll be out there with a video camera....shoot, I'll bring Ed Buchan (City water conservation staff) with me since I know where he drinks...

[dmccall]

But I am still scratching my head here in the Raleigh area. We are about 9 inches down rainwise since 1/06 . 40 inches has fallen instead of about 49 inches. ...

[swimmer8866]

Here are three facts that should make you scratch your head further:

* Falls Lake was FULL at the beginning of August.

* In 2007 we ran a 17% rain deficit, but in 2006 we ran a 22% surplus.

* Over the last 10 years we are at a 6% rain surplus.

More here

Instead of eyerolling class warfare, I think that some educational tools need to be distributed. (If I recall correctly most of the water violations came in the northern portion of Wake Co.) Fescue lawns need 1" of water per week in growing seasons. The best application is twice a week, early in the morning (to avoid evap - nighttime breeds mold). When the lake is full, there is nothing wrong with supplementing the natural rainfall.

The most important time of year to water is for the two weeks after seeding a lawn. It needs 10 minutes of water EVERY DAY or the grass seed will not germinate. That isn't much water, but the City banned watering just before the most important time of the year. If anything they should have banned it in early August and lifted it for a three week period in September!.

My point is that it doesn't take that much irrigation to keep a lawn healthy (erosion is the #1 enemy of ancient societies). People should NOT water in the afternoon and every day, but I never heard a peep from the city about how to most effectively use an irrigation system.

All of you who want to ban irrigation and routine maintenance of property need to propose a plan for preventing an outward population flight and subsequent housing market collapse.

[sax184]

All of you who want to ban irrigation and routine maintenance of property need to propose a plan for preventing an outward population flight and subsequent housing market collapse.

[RaleighRob]

Drive through some of the more expensive neighborhoods at around 3-4am and you'll see some sprinklers kick on still. I'm not even kidding you.

[Spatula]

Dmccall, you have a deep concern for protecting people's property, but you're exaggerating the effect the landscape has on it and ignoring the fact that all property in the Triangle is inherently valuable because the place is growing quickly. If we have to halt development because a few people made the poor choice to invest in high-maintenance lawns, that would pretty much kill everything we have going for us. If we look at the priorities, that isn't important.

We need to help Falls Lake recover right now, not just in August and September. If we get another drought by then, it might be too late.

Last year was an El Nino year, which was responsible for the dryness. It was the hottest year in recorded history, probably in human history, which added to the severity of the drought, and it's something we're going to see more of in the coming decades. This year will probably be better rainwise, and Falls Lake will most likely recover, but on the offchance that it doesn't, that leaves us very screwed financially. Buying water from Cary is not going to be cheap.

[dmccall]

Actually this drought is from La Nina effects. It will change. We'll be fine.

Yes, I'm all for protecting property rights when there isn't a serious need to invade them. There is some serious drought hysteria going on right now. We're not going to run out of water, and disconnections would seriously undermine the momentum we have. National effects are slowing things (projects put on hold, restaurants downtown going under). The last thing we need is to say you cannot come because there is always another community that has opportunity for people who want to move in.

[Jones_]

I was only in the ban irrigation camp, not moratorium camp.....it does not seem to stop people from moving to the SW...as an aside I DO think stage 3 restrictions should include a moratorium on new water connections...not sure what the cutoff is...below 20% of the water storage pool or so....by banning all irrigation, rich neighborhoods can still easily tap their duck pond or bring in a truck load of water from Jordan Lake or Gaston and ration that sucker out...would cost a fortune but that would account for tiered rate injustice. Again, there are just tons and tons of beautiful green lawns all over that did not receive a drop from the sprinkler...these are full of natural, local grasses. Fescue is so much more of a culture than a need in any way, much like driving Suburbans and Tahoes....the price and supply of gas is taking those guys out of service slowly, and now so will water supply, and idealy price slowly remove the pampered fescue lawn....

[Spatula]

Actually this drought is from La Nina effects. It will change. We'll be fine.

Yes, I'm all for protecting property rights when there isn't a serious need to invade them. There is some serious drought hysteria going on right now. We're not going to run out of water, and disconnections would seriously undermine the momentum we have. National effects are slowing things (projects put on hold, restaurants downtown going under). The last thing we need is to say you cannot come because there is always another community that has opportunity for people who want to move in.

[ncwebguy]

The *daily* 25M + gallons above winter water use levels last summer wasn't due to people getting their inch of water a week. *Voluntary* water restrictions were in place, but they didn't help. Only when citations were issued did people use their sprinklers less. There *was* edcuation about proper irrigation techniques sent with water bills -- when the tuna can fills up, you've watered enough for the week. Either people don't read their water bills (you can sign up for automatic withrdawls) or they think it is their right to spray potable water on their grass because they paid for it.

The "I can do whatever I want until Falls lake is dry" mentailty *is* class warfare. As is the home owner associations like Margot's Pond in Wake Forest that demanded lawns were to be kept green, or residents would get "self-help", which involved forced payment to an outside company. Water use maps showed above average useage in North Raleigh despite lower density. The lower density *encourages* greater water use for lawns since there is more space between houses. The failure of North Hills restaurants Momma Fu's and JK's helps some, but they are only a drop in the proverbial bucket.

Since some spoiled people can't practice water conservation on their own, there should be year round odd/even watering, with one-week permits for spring and fall reseeding. Some people might water twice as much on their days, but the rest will figure it out eventually. It is sad that everyone has to stay for detention because a few kids won't play nice, but Raleigh is so class warfare-adverse that it has to punish everyone instead of just the offenders. For restaurants, I'd rather have water by-request only, as opposed to eating off paper plates.

Using monthly averages and annual rainfall to determine if we're in a drought or not is misleading, as it fails to take runoff and lack of capturing into consideration. Getting several inches of rain in a 24 hour period helps some, but our collection pools won't see as much benefit vs. a steady, soaking rain that doesn't overwhelm the tributaries. Also, the near record heat saps moisture quicker, which affects water levels everywhere, not just at the lakes.

Higher impact fees will help slow growth, which will also allow the housing market to absorb the excess stock. The city should also charge for water used to flush/test lines if devlopers aren't providing their own. This is yet another giveaway real estate has received for years while they continue to whine about being treated unfairly.

[dmccall]

My "blind" optimism only has a few decades of data behind it. You know there was once this day where the roads froze. Now any time Greg Fischel says the word "winter" our roads are covered in potassium chloride. I honestly foresee water nazis responding to this drought, a historical aberration by any analysis, by imposing laws that prohibit reasonable water use while we are spilling over millions of gallons a day from a full reservoir into the Neuse.

We were not educated about what grass needs. We were told to "be mindful" of water. Then we were told that we could water on every other day. Do you think you can limit someone's smoking by only allowing them to smoke on odd hours? Of course not. You'll just see them consume more during their times. True education tells people what they actually need to DO, not some kindergarten golden rule generalities like we were given.

[Spatula]

My "blind" optimism only has a few decades of data behind it.

[NCSpazz]

Editorial column on the drought from the NC Green Industry Council

The article criticizes the recent water restrictions and the burden that has been placed on the landscaping industry. She offers up some landscaping solutions but also blames urbanization for the degradation and depletion of our water resources. She lays little blame on the large suburban lots crisscrossed in sprinklers and covered in fertilizer.

[Gard]

^^^

She sounds like somone who owns one of those McMansions with an acre of grass that needs to be watered 10 times a day. Urbanizing has the opposite effect. More urbanization=less empty land=less grass to water=less water used for unnecessary purposes. As for GA easing restrictions....If someone jumps off the bridge, should we jump too?

[Jones_]

Yep...its SUB-urbanization that would be a bigger culprit.

[Gard]

Article in the N&O this morning on sales exploding on rain barrels. One company, Mt. Olive Picke CO, even started selling empty pickle barrels they can't use en masse to suppliers to use as rain barrels, which not only makes the company more profitable, but helps prevent these barrels from ending up in a landfill .

http://www.newsobserver.com/weather/drough...ory/959034.html

[dmccall]

That's a superflous claim.

Climates changed, demand changed.

We're getting 1/5th the normal inflow for February. We have enough water left in the lake until June. If the council is successful in getting the outflow cut in half temporarily, we'll be in much better shape, but until then, the possibility of Falls Lake disappearing is very real. The drought is projected to continue indefinitely.

[dmccall]

^^^

She sounds like somone who owns one of those McMansions with an acre of grass that needs to be watered 10 times a day. Urbanizing has the opposite effect. More urbanization=less empty land=less grass to water=less water used for unnecessary purposes. As for GA easing restrictions....If someone jumps off the bridge, should we jump too?