While walking to class, the scenery seems a bit different on the campus of California State University, Stanislaus. One of the details our school is missing is the green grass that was there not too long ago.   

      Central farming communities in California are reaching an all-time high in conserving water and saving every bit they can due to the drought. Our everyday water usage has already dropped by 31 percent within the last year. Some would think dry, 100 degree weather in the central valley would call for extra watering.
     Compared to last summer, those affected by the drought have used far less water, allowing our lawns to go dry. This includes shortening shower times, washing the car less, and leaving sprinklers off more frequently.  
      Over 74 billion gallons of water were saved this July, just from individual conservation efforts. For many rural and urban based counties, this is an extreme regulation and counts as a huge success.

     The districts that are struggling to conserve will be confronted with an action plan target to save water before fines are issued.  Northern California regions were ordered to cut water usage between 28 and 36 percent. This target was surpassed by Sacramento region’s, cutting their water usage by over 35 percent. However, Livingston is one of the few falling behind the target. This Central Valley region only managed to cut their urban water usage by 3 percent.

    However, these conservation targets are not stopping homeowners from taking pride in their lawn. There are people within the Stanislaus County that are conducting business with painting front lawns green. They are offering homeowners an opportunity to make their lawns appear healthy and lush with an environmental friendly green paint.