DON’T WASTE A GOOD DROUGHT Sierra Orr, Water Conservation & Public Information Big Bear Lake Department of Water & Power

Big Bear Lake DWP  Who are we?  What do we do?

Big Bear Municipal Water District (MWD) Big Bear City Community Services District (CSD) Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Authority (BBARWA) Water in the Valley Photo Courtesy Library of Congress

So… ?  Wildfires  Smoke  No rain, no storms  Dust  Fallow fields  No way to wash away particles  Energy to move water

American Lung Association State of the Air 2015 “The impact of climate change is particularly apparent in the West where the heat and drought create situations ripe for episodes of high particle days.” ”Dust, exhaust fumes, other particles linger longer in air without rain to wash it out.”

In the News “And then the drought happened.” Healthline News Cameron Scott Nov “Air quality was improving and [the San Joaquin air districts] were making good progress toward attaining the federal standard,” said Sylvia Vanderspek, chief of the air quality planning branch of the California Air Resources Board (CARB).”

In the News “In the Central Valley, the drought compounds problems with the mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in our polluted air.” Sacramento Bee June 28, 2015 “Where there used to be vegetation, there are now fallow fields from which dry soil can blow into neighboring towns. On construction sites, workers must be conservative about using water to keep down dust.”

In the News “This summer, Fresno public health officials reported a four-fold increase in the number of people seeking medical care for asthma.” Healthline News Cameron Scott Nov

Water and Energy Drinking water and wastewater systems account for approximately 3–4 percent of energy use in the United States, resulting in the emissions of more than 45 million tons of GHGs annually. (U.S. EPA, 2012b) California Energy Commission, 2005; U.S. EPA, 2010a; U.S. EPA, 2010b; Energy Center of Wisconsin, 2003

Production

State Mandated Conservation

Conservation: Business as …  Toilet Rebates  Turf Buyback  Conservation Consults  Marketing  Free items  Educational Outreach  ROCS (unique to BBLDWP)  Biggest Loser  Smart Meters  BVWSP  Energy Upgrades UsualNot so usual

Conservation in Action

Solar panels Slant wells Energy efficient reservoirs and wells Energy Upgrades

Drought 1/ Fish... 0?  One fish, two fish Photos by Colleen LeBeau, ABC 7 News

But Don’t Waste a Good drought! Photo courtesy of the Big Bear Grizzly

But Don’t Waste a Good drought! Photos courtesy of the Big Bear Grizzly

Drought 1/ Forest 0  Lake Fire Image courtesy of Hazard Mapping System, US Air Quality Smoke Blog Image courtesy EPA

But Don’t Waste a Good Drought! NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Photo courtesy Chris Clarke/KCET

From crisis to creativity

Drought 1, Lake

Lake Levels During the Drought DateLevelDown From Full November 16, ’1”14’2” November 17, ’ 7”11’ 8” November 18, ’ 3”8’ November 19, ’ 0”4’ 3” November 18, ’ 3”2’ November 18, ’ 5”4’ 10”

Don’t Waste a Good Drought!

Ground water win Recycled water win Lake level win Environmental win Animals win Economy win Fish win Tourism win Bear Valley Water Sustainability Project Schools win Parks win Stickleback win Construction win

Questions/Discussion Sierra Orr (909) x 202 –