quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I'm sure you live in a lovely neighborhood.

quote:

Originally posted by Rinehart:
There's a little side note about your observation about wasting water on lawns.

Many of you on the forum are familiar with saltwater flounder gigging, which is going out at night in a boat with underwater lights and using a gig to harvest mature Atlantic Flounder.

One of the special moments in doing this is that you are out on the water where it is generally peaceful (short of the mosquitoes and sand gnats buzzing around your head). With these underwater lights in 3-4 feet of water you can see quite clearly in a circular area some 10-20 feet around the bow of the boat (depending on water clarity). It's very beautiful as you encounter all types of salt water creatures, from large to small crabs, shrimp, hermit crabs, eels, minnows, you name it. The bottom is teeming with life that you can admire.

So one night I am flounder gigging along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). I have a few people along who have never been out on the water like this and they are ooohing and aaahing as we see different sea creatures along the bottom.

Suddenly, as we move along the bank, there are no more fish, no more shrimp, no more crabs, nothing. The bottom has a dead gray color and there is not one living thing within the radius of the light as we move along the shoreline.

After about 50' of this, I get really curious and grab my spotlight and shine it up on the shoreline.

Wanna guess what I see? We are skirting along a huge golf course, and there are drains occasionally poking through a very well-built seawall edge. The sprinklers are running and the grass is soaking in water. Where these dripping drains poke out you can clearly see a discolored gray pallor on the bottom. Areas of algae bloom in these spots.

So what we were seeing was the "water" from the golf courses percolating down and running off into the estuaries which lead to and from the ocean water. In this "water" you could potentially have large levels of phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, urea, formaldehyde, and whatever pesticides are in use. This happens all along the coast and even inland on lakes.

I'm not the biggest tree-hugger, but damn...

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:
If the natural precipitation in the area isn't enough to sustain your yard, maybe you should think about landscaping with more appropriate materials. That's all I'm saying.

Your Bay Area"ness" is showing through. (Unless I recall incorrectly).

I woukd counter with car washes being the biggest waste. I don't see the point.

But back on topic, I live in the Central Valley wherevwater is scarce (well, not this year) and summers are hot, dry and long. I think we average about 12" a year, and pretty much none of that from April to October. My front yard stays acceptably green on 20 minutes a week. Backyard is all gravel.

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:
And I agree, car washing is also a waste of water.

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:
It's August in Texas, a hundred degrees out, and the grass requires an inordinate amount of water to keep alive.

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:
It's August in Texas, a hundred degrees out, and the grass requires an inordinate amount of water to keep alive.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
I'm pretty sure car washes filter and recycle what water they can, now-a-days, do they not?

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
What drives me nuts is watching in-ground sprinkler systems running when it's pouring down rain, or has just been doing so.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
What drives me nuts is watching in-ground sprinkler systems running when it's pouring down rain, or has just been doing so.

I turn mine off during our annual monsoon rainy season, when we get rainfall. My plot, here in the southwest, is modest, a mere 1,000 sq ft. And it is primarily for our dogs to lounge in.