Readers React: Green lawns don’t belong in the drought-stricken Golden State

To the editor: If we’re serious about greatly reducing water use, it’s obvious that the only way to accomplish this is to reduce the size of — or eliminate entirely — green lawns. (“Southland falls short of achieving 20% voluntary cut in water use,” June 27)

The success we’ve had in reducing water use over the years has been due to building code changes that mandated the use of low-flow toilets, faucets and shower fixtures. Now, state and municipal codes must be changed to require eliminating green lawns or reducing their size to a small percentage of a residential lot. Voluntary programs are unlikely to work.

Ideally, the lawns would be replaced by plant species native to the respective areas of the state, thereby restoring natural habitat and protecting endangered bird and insect species like the monarch butterfly, which depends on milkweed to feed its larvae. Cities and towns should lead by example and replace lawns with native plants except were grass is required.

We can wait until water rates rise sharply and cause people to just let their lawns go brown, or we can take action in advance. The time to do this is now, before the taps run dry.

Daniel Fink, Beverly Hills

The writer is a former board member at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants.

To the editor: This article reports that water use among coastal Southern Californians fell by only 5%, far short of the governor’s call for a 20% reduction. Another article on Saturday reported an increase in home construction in arid Hesperia.

You can’t have new construction when existing residents have to cut back. We need a comprehensive state water policy that cuts across county lines.

Janelle Smith, Quartz Hill, Calif.

..

To the editor: Due to an extreme shortage of water, Gov. Jerry Brown wants residents to cut water use by 20%.

There is not enough water for the number of people who live here. And yet, in an article that was published two days before this one, we read that 648 apartment units are under construction west of downtown L.A. In fact, there is a building boom all over Southern California.

I wonder if the governor has considered a 20% reduction in building permits, or perhaps no more residential building permits issued.

It’s all a matter of money, isn’t it?

Jo-Anne Collins, Fountain Valley

..

To the editor: If Brown wants more water savings, he should look to agriculture. Since roughly 80% of California’s developed water supply is used by agriculture, any meaningful decrease in usage has to include farms, both big and small. Asking residents who have already reduced water usage to cut back further is unrealistic.

With the water supply in California a consistent problem, thirsty crops such as almonds and alfalfa should be limited, drip irrigation should be implemented and water recycling encouraged.

Debbie Cassettari, Chino Hills

..

To the editor: Here in the Coachella Valley, which receives less than five inches of rain a year, it’s disgusting that so much potable water is used to irrigate lawns. There needs to be a phasing out of lawns, at least in hotter and drier areas. Alternatively, the infrastructure should be developed to allow more treated water to be used for outdoor water use.

The time will likely come when these measures will have to be implemented to meet the basic water needs of Southern California and other similar urban areas in the arid Southwest.

Jeff Archuleta, Cathedral City