"What does my shower length have to do with saving the whales" you may ask? According to a report conducted by federal biologist, our insatiable consumption of water is contributing to the extinction of the West Coast Killer Whale or orca. The California Delta pumps out fresh water for 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of cropland. The more water we pump out of the delta the less water is available for fish populations who call the delta home. The fish impacted include the delta smelt and the chinook salmon. The diet of the orca or killer whale almost entirely consists of the chinook salmon consuming about 500,000, 20 pound fish per year. Without a food source the orcas will be driven into extinction. Currently, the population of orcas is at its lowest count since 1984 according to the Center for Whale Research.
We have the ability and the responsibility to make water choices that conserves all living things that call this planet home. The average American person uses 100-175 gallons of water a day. This does not even consider the amount of water we use to feed and clothe us. The daily requirement to sustain life is 0.6 gallons of water from drinking and/or food.
Things you can do today to decrease your water consumption:
Indoor Conservation:-
Take Short Showers- A four minute shower uses anywhere from 6 gallons to 10 gallons depending on your showerhead. Just this simple action saves 2400 gallons of water per year or more if your shower is longer than the 8 minute average.
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Flush Less and/or use collected water from the shower, bath or kitchen sink to flush. A friend said that they always use collected water to flush and save $40.00 a month on there water bill which they call the "flush fund". They give this money to their favorite charity. What could you do with money from your "flush fund"?
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Turn the faucet off-Don't leave the water on when you are shaving, brushing teeth, washing hands, washing dishes....and when you do have the water running collect the water and reuse for flushing, watering plants, running the garbage disposal...
-Use washing machine only when full and wash less often- A cousin only wears her cloths one time before washing. How often do we wash clothes before they really need to be? I have to keep my six year old from multiple changes that lead to more dirty clothes and to have her rethink when something is dirty and requires a change. This is where I need work. When you start a load see it through. I forget I have a load of laundry in and let it sit to the point of the clothes requiring a second wash. I have begun to use the timer to remind me that it is time to place the clothes from the washer into the dryer. One load of wash uses between 40 gallons (top loading) to 24 gallons (front loading).
Outdoor Conservation
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Water less often-Any gardener would tell you that the major cause for poor looking grass and plants is over watering. Lawns only requires one inch of water per week. And in the rainy months you can turn the irrigation off. I turned my drip system off in October and will not turn them back on until late spring as the temperature heats up. At the very least lawns do not need to be watered at least 2 weeks after a heavy rain.
-Plant natives and drought tolerant plants- They require much less water and can tolerate dry periods plus they look beautiful. Drought resistant plants include the fragrant lavenders, sages and salvias to name a few.
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Wash your car using a shut-off valve-We all like a clean car, but can we go longer in between washes? If your hose is left running you use an average of 180 gallons of water per washing. Consider taking your car to be washed at the car wash where they recycle the water.
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Collect your water and reuse-Use those water buckets and rain barrels and reuse the water to water all your plants. My vegetable garden is fed entirely with collected water as a well as my outdoor water fountain and potted plants. Just had another idea. Why not use the collected water to wash your car.
For more water conservation ideas go to
www.bewaterwise.com or to your local water agency conservation page.
The turtle shower timers are helping conservation efforts of the sea turtle on the coast of Central America. Paso Pacifico www.pasopacifico.com is a non-profit organization committed to restore and conserve the natural ecosystems along Central America’s Pacific slope. They have partnered with eco-boutique hotels along the Central American coast to implement the Shorter Shower Program thru the installation of turtle shower timers. All the money raised from the sale of the shower timers to the eco-hotels is used to protect sea turtle habitats.
