Moisture Saving Tip

Sonora, CA — The Mother Lode could see some wet weather today, but the continued drought conditions call for conserving water wherever possible.

Just this week, Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) General Manager Tom Scesa warned if customers do not cut their use in half the District could run out of water by June. The TUD Board of Directors voted unanimously on Thursday to tighten the Phase III Mandatory Water Restrictions, especially when it comes to watering landscaping. The new rules even allow the Board to ban all outside watering in certain conditions. However, there are ways to protect your plants.

Cal Fire Spokesperson Nancy Longmore offers this tip using pine needles. “It is kind of a catch 22. We still need to maintain that defensible space around our home, so it would be good to get the needles away from houses, but where possible we can leave them on the ground, once we get out past that 30 feet margin. Leaving the needles on the ground will prevent erosion and keep moisture in the soil,” explains Longmore.

A reminder, if you are working on your defensible space you can go to the myMotherLode.com home page to find out if it is a burn day. The information is updated daily.