With an abundance of rainfall this winter, green hills and a flowing Santa Clara River, this may seem like the new normal in the Santa Clarita Valley with drought feeling like a distant memory. However, the importance of water conservation and the necessity to be effective advocates with our water will always exist within the SCV’s desert-like ecosystem.

In November 2022, Santa Clarita was considered to be in a state of severe drought. Due to all the rains, the drought declaration was officially lifted in May 2023. The years between 2000 and 2023 were the driest period on record in the West for the last 1,200 years and these climate cycles are becoming much more extreme and difficult to predict.

For an interactive map with historic drought information, please visit www.drought.gov.

There are many actions to take to ensure the abundance of water available today will last. Here are a few helpful tips on how to use water wisely and encourage others to do the same:

— Use a broom rather than a garden hose to clean up debris from driveways and sidewalks. Collect the debris, sort it for disposal in your organics cart if it is landscaping debris, or place it in your garbage or recycling cart, if appropriate.

— Consider installing a rain barrel using collected rain water for your plants during the spring and early summer. Rain barrels collect water from downspouts and store it in a large barrel with a hose bib for easy use.

— Dust off your car when it is dirty and use a professional car wash that recycles used water when in need of a wash. If you choose to wash your car at home, use a bucket instead of a running hose.

— Install gardening hoses that are equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle to prevent unnecessary water waste during use.

— Because of clay soils in Santa Clarita, running an irrigation system on a lawn for more than five minutes will result in surface runoff and wasted water. Runoff water has the potential to collect pollution, carrying it into the storm drains and eventually the Santa Clara River.

— If you have your sprinklers set on an automatic schedule, be sure to turn them off during the rainy season.

— Consider replacing all or part of your lawn with landscaping that can reduce water consumption.

The Santa Clarita Water Agency has rebates available to support efficient irrigation systems and a range of lawn replacement options. For instructional videos on how to investigate water leaks, additional information on water conservation and access to a form available for residents to report water waste within Santa Clarita Valley, please visit yourscvwater.com.

To report illegal dumping and discharges to the storm drain system, call the city’s Stormwater Hotline immediately at (661) 222-7222.