The Castaic Lake Water Agency has expanded its online resources by adding a new plant resource guide that is designed to help property owners identify plants that will thrive in the local environment while beautifying landscapes, too.

The site, santaclaritaplants.clwa.org, provides visual references on a wide variety of plants, including ground covers, flowers, shrubs and trees.

“We often hear that there are so many plant options available, but which ones use water efficiently?” said CLWA Water Resources Manager Dirk Marks. “This new website gives people a terrific visual reference, so they can see how specific plants might work in their own particular landscapes.”

The Santa Clarita Plant Guide, set up in a Pinterest-style format, is also searchable, allowing visitors to search for plants by category, and to focus and refine searches based on variables like flower color, plant type, water requirements, height and width.

“If you’re looking for that certain ‘something’ to accent your landscape, but you don’t know the plants by name, these search features can help you zero in on the right plants for you,” Marks said. “Trees are especially a great choice for fall planting.”

The Santa Clarita Plant Guide joins several other CLWA online offerings that are intended to help property owners manage their landscapes and use water efficiently.

The DIY lawn replacement website, clwa.org/conservation/diy-lawn-replacement, is a resource for those residents who want to tackle a do-it-yourself project and replace their lawn but aren’t quite sure where to start. Since ornamental turf is one of the state’s largest consumers of water, lawn replacement is an area of emphasis when it comes to promoting water use efficiency.

The site focuses on the steps needed to successfully execute a do-it-yourself lawn replacement, from the proper way to remove existing turf through the creation of new landscaping and installation of irrigation equipment.

Another great resource is CLWA’s Conservation Programs website, conservation.clwa.org, which provides information on rebates for lawn replacement, pool covers, and a wide variety of equipment and resources available to help property owners improve their water use efficiency, particularly outdoors.

“All of these online resources are designed to work hand in hand to help people save water, save money and create attractive landscapes,” said Water Conservation Supervisor Stephanie Anagnoson.

“Even as we see a loosening of some drought-related water use restrictions, the fact remains that we are still in a drought. Our Valley hasn’t seen average precipitation since 2011. For the long haul, water use efficiency needs to be an ongoing way of life in order to deal with impacts of climate change and greater variability of available supplies,” Anagnoson said. “These online resources are valuable tools to help property owners keep their landscapes looking great while also using our water resources efficiently, not just during a drought but going forward for many years to come.”

About the Castaic Lake Water Agency:

The Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is the Santa Clarita Valley’s public water wholesaler. CLWA is one of 29 State Water Project contractors and receives water imported from northern California and Kern County through the California Aqueduct.  CLWA operates three large treatment plants, three major pump stations, three water storage facilities and over 45 miles of large diameter transmission pipelines delivering water to four local water retailers.  Our mission is to provide reliable, quality water at a reasonable cost to the Santa Clarita Valley. www.clwa.org