I live in Eastern Washington, and unlike the image many people have of the Pacific Northwest, we are lucky to get 20 inches of precipitation a year.
In the past five years there has been a big influx of new residents to this area. The real estate market was one of the hottest in the country for a while.
These two factors have led to concerns about draining the Spokane aquifer. The city of Spokane placed limits last summer on outdoor watering--how many days, time of day, how long.
A local group called WaterWise Spokane is providing information and resources on xeriscaping for residences and businesses, even providing money to those who make the change. Planting native plants and drought-tolerant plants is an incredibly hot topic here. Presentations and workshops on the subject are filling to capacity in a very short time.
Is anyone else seeing this happening in their area?