by Kathryn Ryan

Having lived in La Honda for over 30 years, I can't remember seeing the creek as low as it is right now. There are puddles, but nothing looks like it is flowing. This is bad news for the wildlife that depends on the creek, in addition to our community.

My friend Sue Henkin-Haas has been stream monitoring with the San Gregorio Environmental Resource Center (SGERC) for more than a decade. Her team monitors the creek at Stage Road in San Gregorio. One of the measurements they take is dissolved oxygen. The dissolved oxygen levels are usually between 10 & 12 in the winter and can drop to 7 or 8 during the summer months. In July the dissolved oxygen level was 1.5 and in August it was 2.0. She has never seen levels like this in 10 years of stream monitoring. There is not enough oxygen to support life - no fish can survive.

It saddens me to see Reflection Lake so low you can walk out onto what is usually submerged. And where did all the ducks go?

Another friend who manages rental properties in La Honda said their well is only pumping out 50% of normal. He told his tenants that if they don't seriously conserve by 50%, they will have to move out.

You probably heard that Memorial Park is closed for the summer because of the drought. There are 30 homes in Loma Mar on water rationing. Other creeks in our immediate watershed have gone dry suddenly in a matter of days. No one knows how the aquifers are faring; they are the true reservoirs in our state.

Sorry to have to report all this dire news, but I think everyone should appreciate the extent of the seriousness of this drought. In La Honda, we are implementing water rationing also. Please, please be conscious of all the water you use. Especially break the habit of letting good water run down the drain. Capture and re-use it for pre-rinsing dishes, flushing the toilet, or watering plants. A panful of water can be used to rinse vegetables, then used for other things. We need to start considering every drop as precious, and stop assuming water will always come out of the faucet. If we ever need to truck in water, it could cost $9/gallon.

If many people conserve as much as possible, together we will make a difference.

(Originally published in the La Honda Voice, September 2014)