Sonoma County and much of California are currently experiencing exceptional drought. Our rainfall last year was 25 inches below normal. In June, though the Ranch had no mandates, we opted to take several big steps to reduce our water use including:
- Pausing irrigation to almost all of our landscapes and lawns and only watering select areas enough to keep them alive until the rainy season
- Reducing our vegetable garden and stopping irrigation of our gardens
- Asking residential staff to reduce usage
- Asking guests to reduce usage through shorter showers, fewer flushes and smart use.
Through these measures, we are saving 1000’s of gallons of water each day. Don’t be surprised when you visit the Ranch and our landscapes look a little less vibrant than usual.
We are also currently planning a project to move most of our landscaping irrigation to recycled water. We will have more information on this project soon and will need your help to make it a reality.
The Ranch’s water comes from wells near the Russian River. Over 600,000 residents of Sonoma and Marin counties also draw their drinking water from this area. We believe it is important to be good neighbors, good stewards and make sure we all have enough water for necessities. We invite you to be water-wise too. We can all do our part to conserve this most precious resource. Join us!
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