Getting to 25%

In a move that made national news, yesterday Governor Jerry Brown announced the first mandatory water restrictions in California history, as the April 1st snow surveys currently being compiled are tallying the lowest-ever snowpack on record. Under Brown’s order, the California Water Resources Control Board will implement mandatory restrictions to reduce water use by 25%.

It’s no surprise that there are a wide range of opinions about the drought, cutbacks, and even water conservation, but Brown’s announcement still sends an important message: we’re all in this together, and we all have a role to play in stepping it up when it comes to water conservation.

What are your favorite water conservation resources? We’d love to know.

Here are some of the Mono Lake Committee staff’s favorites:

• Current favorite educational water-use infographic from the clever folks at GOOD — Arya
• How much water is in the food you eat? Inspired by the book Virtual Water by Tony Allan — Lily
• If you live in California, you can see how your water district’s usage may have changed with this interactive online tool from KPCC — Geoff
• Where do I fall on the California per-capita water use map? — Robbie
• Small adjustments in water use can have a big impact, but how much impact? Water Use It Wisely — Lisa
• I recommend the National Geographic’s water footprint calculator — Elin
• The book Harvesting Rainwater is about way more than rainwater harvesting, it’s about responsible living — Jess
• We love and highly-recommend our greywater landscape watering system at the Mono Lake Committee — Bartshe
• The EPA WaterSense website is an excellent information resource — Santiago
• Don’t get caught up in the hype, go to the source for the California State Water Resources Control Board’s drought actions — Ellen
• See if you qualify for a lawn removal cash incentive program — Herley Jim
• The Mono Lake Committee’s own web page of water conservation tips comes up in the top results in a Google search! — Greg

More coverage of Governor Brown’s announcement in the media:

• Los Angeles Times: Brown orders California’s first mandatory water restrictions: “It’s a different world”
• Southern California Public Radio: Gov. Brown announces mandatory statewide California water restrictions
• New York Times: California Imposes First Mandatory Water Restrictions to Deal With Drought
• Washington Post: Amid record-low snowpack, California orders mandatory curbs on water use