Lake Cachuma: Running on Empty
With winter rains below average for the fifth year in a row, Lake Cachuma is below 15% of capacity and is anticipated to decline further over the summer. Even as green vegetation has sprung up on the hillsides, and plants are flowering, at 72% of average rainfall this year to date countywide there hasn’t been enough rain for the Santa Ynez River to run sufficiently to get inflow into the lake. It is…
Preparing for Continued Drought Even with Predicted Rain
While everyone is hopeful that El Niño will bring much needed rain, as we enter the remaining few months of the rainy season, the community remains in a severe drought.
Great News for Greywater!
The Goleta Water District is excited to announce that customers in the unincorporated Goleta Valley (the area outside the city limits of Goleta and Santa Barbara) can now pipe greywater from their bathroom sinks, showers, and tubs onto their landscaping without having to apply for a building permit, get an inspection or pay fees. This makes them among the first in the state to be able to do so. You…
A multi-year effort to protect and extend water supplies
The District has long been at the forefront of conservation, and we have been actively managing the current drought since it began in 2012. The Goleta Valley’s long history of drought means Goleta Water District customers understand the value of water and the need to conserve. Residential per capita water use is among the lowest in the state, and there is high consciousness among customers of the…
Save Water by Reducing or Eliminating Your Lawn
As the drought worsens, many customers have significantly reduced outdoor water use. One of the easiest ways to do this is by removing or reducing the size of your lawn. On average as much as half of residential water use is outdoor irrigation, so removing turf is one of the best options to significantly reduce water use. While the District does not currently prohibit lawns, more severe restrictions…
Stage III Water Shortage Emergency Information
On May 12, 2015 the Goleta Water District Board of Directors declared a Stage III Water Shortage Emergency, with mandatory water use restrictions and changes to watering times. The Goleta Valley remains in drought conditions and water conservation is still critical to ensure adequate supplies for drinking, health and public safety. The declaration is consistent with the requirements of the District’s…
Another Summer of Drought
No End in Sight as the Goleta Valley Enters into another Summer of Drought Here in the Goleta Valley we know the importance of water conservation, but we can’t control the weather. In our fourth year of drought we have received only half of our normal rainfall. Our community faces the worst water shortage emergency in our history— now even more severe that than the 1990s drought so many of us remember. Doing…
Governor Directs Statewide Mandatory Water Reductions
On March 17, 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted emergency regulations to encourage water conservation statewide in response to the historic drought. On April 1, 2015, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order on actions necessary to address California’s severe drought conditions. The Executive…
Stage II Water Shortage Emergency January 2015 Update
While the recent rains have moistened the ground considerably, the drought conditions persist. Lake Cachuma remains at historic lows, and the Stage II Water Shortage Emergency and mandatory water use restrictions are still in effect. Saving water over the next few months is critical to delaying a Stage III Water Shortage Emergency. Looking…
Stage II Water Shortage Emergency December 2014 Update
The last several years have been abnormally dry, so it’s exciting to see some of the first winter rainfall move into the region. However, even with the recent rains Lake Cachuma is still at historic lows, and the Stage II Water Shortage Emergency and mandatory water use restrictions are still in effect. Outdoor watering with fixed…
