Some Tips on Managing Your Water Use

Outdoors

Surveys show that single-family homes in Agoura Hills use nearly 70 percent of their water outdoors. Reducing usage from this large category can help reduce your water bill and help the region meet its conservation goal.

· Reduce or eliminate lawn areas. Replace lawn with gardens and attractive “California Friendly” plants. It takes five feet of water to sustain a square foot of turf through the course of a year. This is not a sustainable practice.

· Install drip irrigation. It is especially effective for bushes, trees and shrubs. There is no restriction on the use of drip irrigation. Most home improvement stores carry “drip conversion kits” that make it easy to convert one or more of your irrigation zones into drip irrigation outlets. 

· Using drip or hand watering, be sure to sustain trees. A deep watering once or twice per week within the drip line is adequate. There is no restriction on hand watering.

 · Consider a pool cover. Pools evaporate water at about the same rate as lawn areas. Shading your pool or covering it will greatly reduce its water loss and reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain a comfortable temperature. There are less costly “bubble wrap” types or hard covers for pools and spas where children or animals may be present.

 · Check for leaks around hose bibs, irrigation control valves and make sure the auto-fill valve for a pool or spa is working properly. Here’s an easy test. Turn off all water uses in your home. Then go look at your water meter, usually adjacent to the sidewalk or street. If you see movement on the meter’s flow indicator, you have a leak.

 · Be sure all irrigation spray heads are aimed properly. Check to be sure there is no runoff from your property.

Indoors
 · Install the new high-efficiency toilets if you haven’t already done so. They use 1.28 gallons per flush or less and some models qualify for a $100 rebate.

· Replace an older washer with a new high efficiency model. Save 30 gallons per load.

 · Be sure your shower head is a newer model. The latest versions provide a good flow and save water. Keep showers to 5 minutes or less.

 · Water used for washing fruits and vegetables can be used to water your plants.

 · Turn off the water while brushing teeth or shaving.

 · Repair any leaks you may find. Those small drips are costly!

Deadline Approaches for Water Conservation Incentives

Up through June 30, rebates for water-saving devices are available for LVMWD residential customers through the SoCal Water$mart program.  Take advantage of these opportunities to upgrade your home, reduce water use and save money with rebates.

·         “Mow No Mow” Lawn Replacement Program ($2 per square foot; front and back yards qualify.)  Water-efficient “California Friendly” plants require far less water than traditional varieties.  Las Virgenes Municipal Water District offers a free catalog of water-efficient plants which is also available online at www.LVMWD.com

• Rebates for qualifying High Efficiency Toilets ($100)

• Rebates for qualifying High Efficiency Clothes Washers ($85)

·         Weather-Based Irrigation Controller ($80 rebate).  Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers automatically adjust the amount of water applied based on the time of year and prevailing weather conditions. Some models include a feature that automatically shuts down the system during rainy periods.

 

• Rotating Sprinkler Heads ($4 rebate each, minimum 15 heads).  Newer rotating sprinkler heads put larger droplets in the irrigated area, reducing losses due to misting and evaporation.

• Rain Barrels ($75 rebate, maximum four per home)

·         Soil Moisture Sensor System ($80 rebate).  Some existing irrigation timers can accommodate the addition of a “soil moisture sensor” that will prevent irrigation when the water available to plants is adequate.

It’s important to know rebate terms and conditions before you make a purchase, so please carefully read the information found at socalwatersmart.com

Rebates may take several weeks to process. For more information, contact the Las Virgenes MWD at (818) 251-2200.

As we watch our beautiful hills and open spaces already drying up, simple changes can make a difference.

·         Turn off water when brushing teeth or shaving.

·         Shorter showers save water and are far more efficient than a bath.

·         Check for leaks indoors and out, especially around irrigation valves.

·         Be sure garden hoses have trigger nozzles.

·         Take your car to a commercial car wash that recycles its water.

·         Save water from rinsing vegetables and use for watering plants.

·         If you have a landscape maintenance service, discuss the importance of saving water with them.

 

Our School District Wants Your Input

Click on this link to take the survey: www.lvusd.org/survey

Coastal Conservancy Approves Grant

Thanks to so many of you, on January 29 the State Coastal Conservancy unanimously, and enthusiastically, granted $1 million in voter-passed resource bond funds to Caltrans, allowing Caltrans to proceed with planning, design, and environmental compliance for the

wildlife crossing west of Liberty Canyon. Over 100 letters in support were received from residents, impressing Conservancy Board members with the strong support from area
residents. The National Wildlife Federation is now a critical partner in the construction fundraising efforts ahead, shining a bright light at the national level on this first-in-the-nation crossing of an urban freeway the size of Highway 101. The planning documents that will be prepared over the next 18-24 months, will also determine the preferred alternative design and optimal location to connect habitat from the Simi Hills on our north across the freeway to the south into the Santa Monicas and to the sea.

Wildlife Crossing Grant Needs Support Letters

Because of the recent death of a mountain lion, in addition to deer, coyotes and other wildlife, trying unsuccessfully to cross the 101 freeway in the Liberty Canyon area of Agoura Hills, an exciting new wildlife freeway crossing is now being planned. The 101 freeway creates an impenetrable barrier for wildlife that is essentially trapped on one side of the freeway or the other, resulting in inbreeding and high animal mortality rates.

The attempted crossings on the freeway also create dangerous conflict between wildlife and high-speed traffic. We now have the opportunity to start a landmark project that will help connect an entire ecosystem from the Simi Hills on the north to the ocean, with a naturalized wildlife crossing of the freeway itself.

On Thursday, January 29, the State Coastal Conservancy will be acting on an application filed by the National Wildlife Federation for $1 million in voter-passed resource bond funds that will allow Caltrans to do the necessary initial project and design review.

The Coastal Conservancy takes community support for projects into serious consideration in deciding whether a grant will be approved.  Please consider doing either, or both, of the following:
 
1) Send a simple email in support of the “Liberty Canyon Wildlife Overcrossing” to the State Coastal Conservancy at druddock@scc.ca.gov and copy kara.seward@sen.ca.gov at Senator Pavley’s District Office. It must be received no later than Sunday, January 25.

2) The meeting will be held at Ventura City Hall, Council Chambers, 501 Poli Street, Ventura at 11:00 a.m., January 29. If you are able to attend and read your letter to the State Conservancy Board in person, that would be a powerful expression of support.

Agoura Hills Opens Community Center

Congratulations to the City of Agoura Hills on the grand opening of its beautiful new Recreation and Events Center.



Sited up against Ladyface Mountain off Reyes Adobe Road, and overlooking city hall and the entire city, the building’s architectural design pays homage to Agoura Hills’ identification as Gateway to the Santa Monicas.

Public art pieces incorporated in the landscaping include the mountain lion, bobcat, rattlesnake, and Red-Tailed Hawk, all iconic inhabitants of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that mark the southern edge of our city.

Happy New Year from AgouraHillsTomorrow.org

One year ago, we founded AgouraHillsTomorrow.org to help preserve the vision of our city as Gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains, and to provide a historical perspective on policies enacted at the beginning of cityhood and why they may still be relevant today.

Each of us has had the privilege of serving as Mayor of Agoura Hills, beginning with the very first City Council in 1982. Before that, we were just “Agoura,” a western outpost of L.A. County. Peaceful and still rural, families were drawn here from the stresses of urban living by our oak-studded hills, cool breezes, and the promise of a special place to put down roots.

 

But some saw our region as an opportunity for unfettered development, bringing massive grading of hillsides, traffic congestion, loss of heritage oaks, runaway billboards, and the excessive glare of  commercial light pollution dominating our night skies and moonlit ridgelines.

Although we lived on the fringe of the Los Angeles megalopolis, we were determined not to be swallowed up by it. Since 1982, in election after election, that determination has held.

As we begin this new year, we will be sharing our thoughts on issues that we believe impact our high quality of life. Mostly, however, we want to hear from you. What is your vision for Agoura Hills for the next 20 years? What changes have you seen that you feel have benefited the city? What changes would you like to see made?

This blog is sent to everyone on our City Council and the City Manager. We intend it to be a positive opportunity for all Agoura Hills residents to participate in shaping the City’s future. We hope you will find it interesting, and that you will be a part of the discussion over the next year. Thank you!

Former mayors Fran Pavley, Ed Corridori, Louise Rishoff, Joan Yacovone, Dan Kuperberg, Darlene McBane, Jack Koenig, Jeff Reinhardt