Tag: landscaping

Author SuzannePosted on Categories Habitats, Sustainable LivingTags , , ,

Russian River environment: The plant invasion in Mendocino and Sonoma counties

Christina Goulart, UKIAH DAILY JOURNAL

Give them an inch and they’ll take an acre…as the California Invasive Pest Council says. There are a whopping 195 invasive plant species in Sonoma County. In the northwestern forest region, which includes Mendocino County, 265 invasive species have been identified.

An invasive plant species is non-native and aggressively out-competes native species. In other words, they spread fast and crowd out other plants, harming ecosystems and impacting water quality. Native plants provide shelter and food for native insects, birds and animals. Invasive species tend not to have habitat value. In fact, they sometimes destroy the very habitats native species need to survive.

Ludwigia hexapetala (water primrose)

One of the most damaging invasive plants is invasive Ludwigia or water primrose. Water primrose is a lovely, floating plant with delicate yellow flowers and is a favorite for artificial ponds and aquariums. Unfortunately, several subspecies of water primrose (Ludwigia hexapetala and Ludwigia peploides) are aggressively invasive and among the most concerning of the invasive species for water quality and stream health.

Invasive Ludwigia grows quickly and thickly on water surfaces, blocking out light, using up the oxygen and choking out other life. When invasive Ludwigia covers a water body surface, aquatic birds cannot penetrate the thick mat of Ludwigia with their beaks to hunt for food. Ludwigia also depletes the oxygen in the water body it covers, so that the oxygen is no longer available for fish and other life.

Arundo donax (Giant Reed)

Arundo donax (Giant Reed) grows best along stream banks. It was introduced for erosion control because it quickly covers exposed soil. Unfortunately, that very quality that is useful for erosion control makes it an invasive species, crowding out native plant species, and reducing habitat value for birds and other animals. Arundo has another huge drawback – it is highly flammable, speeding the spread of wildfire.

Protect our river. Protect our streams. Don’t plant or spread invasive species. Here is what you can do…

Plant California native plants in your yards and gardens.

Native plants can be just as beautiful as exotic ornamentals and provide ecosystem benefits. For example, the California Lilac has lovely purple blooms. It’s a nitrogen-fixing plant. The California Fuchsia blooms deep red or purple and attracts hummingbirds. The California Native Plant Society has an on-line tool to help you select native species. www.cnps.org/gardening. The California Invasive Plant Council also lists helpful links for plants to use and stay away from for land managers, landscapers and for the public www.cal-ipc.org.

Read more at https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2019/01/08/russian-river-environment-the-plant-invasion-in-mendocino-and-sonoma-counties/

Author SuzannePosted on Categories Sustainable Living, WaterTags , , Leave a comment on Keeping tabs on Sonoma County’s water use

Keeping tabs on Sonoma County’s water use

Guy Kovner, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
People are using twice as much water in the city of Sonoma as they are along the Russian River, with residents of five other cities and one water district in Sonoma County falling between the two extremes, according to a state report that calculates per capita water use for the first time.
With drought-stricken California striving to curb consumption by its 38 million residents, Sonoma residents used 148 gallons of water per person per day in September. During the same period, residents of the Guerneville-Monte Rio area consumed 71 gallons, the lowest rate among 12 cities and water districts in the area from Marin to Mendocino County. Officials attributed much of the variation around the region to differences in climate, topography, residential lot size and income.
“Our customers do not have lawns,” said Julie Kenny of the Sweetwater Springs Water District, which serves 3,600 customers along the river, an area cooled by ocean fog. “Backyards are redwood forests, and small.”
Sonoma, with 10,800 residents in a warmer, drier inland valley, has large landscaped lots that “require more irrigation,” said Dan Takasugi, public works director and city engineer.
Outdoor residential water use, primarily landscape irrigation, accounts for 34 percent — the largest portion — of California’s urban water use, vastly exceeding commercial, institutional and industrial water consumption. It also is the prime target of the state’s campaign to cut total use by 20 percent by 2020. In some areas, outdoor irrigation accounts for 50 percent or more of urban water use.
via Keeping tabs on North Coast’s water use | The Press Democrat.