It’s time to reduce watering in Fresno & Clovis. Not doing so in a drought is just wrong

November begins with a forecast for rain, a truly welcome bit of news in the drought-weary San Joaquin Valley.

The Fresno-Clovis area could see up to a half inch of rain by the time showers end on Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

However, the potential for sprinkles does little to alleviate the drought challenges facing California, and in particular, the counties of Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings. They are categorized as being in “exceptional drought” by the U.S. Drought Monitor — the worst situation to be in.

Fresno averages about 11 inches of rain a season, which starts July 1 and runs through June. Last year the city got 6.29 inches, or 57% of normal.

Complicating matters is the forecast for yet another dry winter. That’s because California is entering a rare third year, or “triple dip,” of the La Niña weather pattern. It occurs when cooler-than-normal ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean affect where storms go. For California, it means cooler, drier winter months, as storms remain in the Pacific Northwest.

Suffice to say, dry conditions are going to likely remain, barring some unexpected rainy pattern that meteorologists don’t foresee.

Cut back on watering

Given the forecast and the continued dry weather, what can Fresno and Clovis residents do? For one thing, cut back on watering their yards and lawns.

Nov. 1 marks the date in both Fresno and Clovis when residents are required to scale back irrigating their yards to just one day a week. The once-a-week schedule is in place through March. (Once April comes, watering can go up to three times a week, as daily high temperatures get hotter.)

The once-a-week watering can only be done on weekends. People whose home address ends in an odd number can water on Saturdays; even-number addresses get Sunday for irrigating. There is to be no watering during the work week or for 48 hours after measurable rain.

Wendy Cornelius, water conservation supervisor for Fresno, says it takes about two weeks to get 90% of residents to cut back. “Many of our water customers rely on the gardening maintenance companies to change the irrigation timers to the one-day watering schedule,” she said in an email to The Bee Editorial Board’s questions.

About 120,000 homes in Fresno are equipped with smart water meters that send real-time data on their use to the city’s water division. “Those customers who are not in compliance receive a courtesy notice advising that excessive water was used on a restricted day and/or time,” Cornelius said.

She added that the city’s water conservation program offers a free service to help homeowners who need help changing their watering timers.

Plants don’t need as much

Once-a-week watering is understandable in winter months because of cooler temperatures and less hours of sunlight. Plants are not under stress like during hot summer months. So cutting back makes sense.

What is hard to understand is why some people don’t change their automatic irrigation systems to reflect the cutback in watering days. It is not uncommon to see gutters filled to the top with runoff from someone’s yard, their sprinklers blasting out precious water.

A homeowner who gets fined for such negligence has earned it.

To recap: The drought remains. The arrival of November means watering just once a week, depending on one’s address. Homeowner action step: Adjust automatic timers to allow irrigating only one day a week.

The water saved now could be drinking water in the next hot summer.

This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 5:30 AM.