The age of the green, manicured lawn in California might be coming to an end.  Lawns may not literally be a thing of the past, but if restrictions taking hold in some California water districts remain, it will be near impossible to grow a lawn.  Some California residents are seeing restrictions limit watering grass to one day a week for a maximum of eight minutes.  Most lawns need between 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week to grow, which should be spread out (by watering or by rain) over two to three times each week.  While there are some types of grass that are more drought resistant, a watering once a week for eight minutes just isn’t enough to keep a lawn green… and the rain just has not been falling!

This isn’t to say that the reasons to strictly conserve water aren’t real.  The American west has been suffering under the worst drought conditions on record.  Winters with below average snowfall and relatively dry springs have contributed to an overall parching of the western landscape that has been building since the turn of the century, leading to shrinking rivers, reservoirs at record low levels and the propensity for massive wildfires.  A raging fire in Yosemite National Park has already consumed over 16,000 acres.  The steady population growth in cities within these arid climates hasn’t helped much either.

In a cruel twist of irony, the people in and around St. Louis are getting drenched with record rainfall, leading to flash floods and heavy property damage.  In twelve hours on Tuesday (7/26), St. Louis received 25% of its normal annual rainfall.  If only there were a way to spread out the rain.

Take a look at this article on California water restrictions and the resulting effects on area yards, as well as the rise of landscaping with native plants that naturally need significantly less water to thrive.  What are your thoughts- let me know!

~ Brian Kasal- The Leadership Matrix

Click here- California’s Worst Drought on Record Spells Trouble for Classic Green Lawns

P.S.- Did you see my last Leadership Matrix post? Cutting the Cord or Stopping the Stream?

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