Recent storms in California brought a visceral sense of relief to areas looking straight down the barrel of drought. For those who have been planning ahead, it also brought water security in the form of captured rain, in cisterns.
In Los Angeles, where embracing water conservation is an everyday reality, rainwater capture is a critical piece of the water conservation puzzle. Cisterns, both public and private, capture water during times of heavy rain, and then supply water for things like watering the garden during dry periods.
TreePeople, the organization responsible for the now-full 216,000-gallon cistern in Coldwater Canyon Park has a long history of water conservation efforts and education. The Mono Lake Committee and TreePeople have worked together on many projects including raising native trees for riparian restoration along Mono Basin streams. Additionally, TreePeople has participated in the Committee’s Outdoor Experiences Program which brings Los Angeles youth to the source of their water.
As we like to say up here in the Mono Basin, every drop of water conserved in Los Angeles is another drop for Mono Lake.