Your Water is Our Promise: The CVWD Blog

The Board:

• Noted retiring employees Theresa Salazar, Accounts Receivable Technician, 22 years, and Roni Ramos, Source Control Coordinator, 14 years.
• Approved a two-year defined benefit and compensation plan for confidential, at-will and unrepresented CVWD employees.
• Approved an ordinance that describes employment, classifications and salaries for CVWD employees effective Jan. 24, 2023.
• Nominated Vice President Cástulo Estrada to run for a seat on Riverside LAFCO representing Eastern Coachella Valley.

CVWD board Jan. 10 approved $7.5 million to fund increased conservation rebate applications and encourage participation in conservation programs. 

That brings the total investment for fiscal year 2022-2023 to $13.35 million. That could add 4 million acre square feet of converted turf to the 1.5 million square feet customers have converted to desert-friendly landscaping since July 2022. 

Annual water savings are estimated at 55.8 gallons per square foot of turf removed.

Drought penalties fund conservation programs. 

CVWD’s federal affairs and advocacy team reviewed federal funding successes in 2022 and listed priorities for 2023-2024. 

Among successes: $12.2 million for the WRP 10 project, $6.2 million for Eastern Valley infrastructure and more than $67.5 million for canal lining and laterals.

Among priorities: Colorado River conservation,  exempting water conservation rebates from federal income tax   and support for the Sites Reservoir, Delta Conveyance Project and restoration and management of the Salton Sea. Other priorities include state compliance periods for regulations.

The Directors also: 

• Learned Director Peter Nelson, longtime chairman of the Colorado River Board of California, will not run for that office this year.
• Recognized retirement of Purchasing Technician I Tina Merrill, 25 years. 
• Awarded a contract not to exceed $258,000 annually with B-81 Paving for on-call roadway and hardscape repair services.
• Awarded a contract of $545,000 to Chaffee Construction to replace two hydropneumatic tanks in Rancho Mirage and Bombay Beach. 
• Approved a nonpotable water agreement with Southwest Community Church. Southwest will be connected to the nonpotable water distribution system from WRP 10 that is being installed on Hovley Lane East.

January sits in the middle of the Coachella Valley’s three-month cold season. Temperature highs linger in the low 70s with lows in the mid-40s. While it is unusual, you might see frost, particularly in the Eastern Valley. 

It is an ideal month to make additions or changes in the garden. 

What to plant in January

Trees, shrubs, perennials:  Bare-root deciduous shrubs and trees. Plant your living Christmas tree.

Flowers: It is the last opportunity to plant bare-root roses, grapes, and deciduous fruit trees. They need to establish roots before temperatures rise. Continue to plant tulips, narcissus, daffodils, and hyacinths.

Vegetables:  Beans, beets, carrots, chard, garlic, kale, lettuce, onions, peas, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, shallots and spinach

Chores:

• Prepare garden soil for spring planting by mixing in 2 inches of organic material (compost, manure).
• Hand weed before weedy species go to seed.
• Prune established deciduous fruit trees before they leaf out.
• Prune roses.

Does desert gardening still puzzle you? 

Getting plants to grow in the desert can be tough. Desert Area Master Gardeners have experimented with plants and growing systems. They offer a four-session class that introduces desert gardening, including how to grow landscape plants that offer shade but don’t require drought-aggravating amounts of water.

Topics will cover design and layout, irrigation, soil, compost, tools, flowers/shrubs, vegetables, pollinators, native plants, citrus, and palms. 

Details:

What: Spring 2023 Desert Home Gardening Class

When: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 4, 18, 25, March 4

Where: UC Riverside Palm Desert, 75-080 Frank Sinatra Drive

Host: Desert Area Master Gardeners of Riverside County

Register: RSVP by Jan. 15 to smokyzeldel@gmail.com 

Resource: 

“Lush and Efficient: Desert-Friendly Landscaping in the Coachella Valley” lists more than 300 plants with over 800 photos. You can pick up a free copy of the 160-page book at CVWD’s Coachella office at 50-501 Tyler St., or CVWD’s Palm Desert office at 75-525 Hovley Lane East (same building where you pay your bill). You can also find the book at CVWD.org/conservation for PDF download.