Steam

"Many of us have spent  time drawing on steamed shower glass or fogged windows. Sometimes it's a simple doodle, sometimes a smile face  or sometimes a scrawled loved note. Perhaps its the soothing warm water that allows us to think freely and turn the steamed shower glass into a canvas."

This image was submitted by Tyler P. in Southern CA.

My Your Our Water

Responsible Heathrow

 Airports use a good deal of water and produce a fair amount of waste. At Heathrow International Airport in London, environmental responsibility is taken seriously. 

"At Heathrow, we are committed to managing water sustainably by sourcing it responsibly, controlling use and efficiency, carefully managing the disposal of water, and monitoring our impacts on the surrounding environment."

In fact, from 2012 to 2013 Heathrow achieved a 3% reduction in water consumption per passenger 

This image was submitted by Grace S. from Heathrow.

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Save our Planet

Dear Guest

Every day millions of gallons of water are used 

to wash towels that have only been used once.

YOU MAKE THE CHOICE:

A towel on the rack means:  I will use again

A towel on the floor mean: Please Replace

Thank you for helping us conserve the Earth's resources.

This image was submitted from a Los Angeles motel room.

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Playing Poseidon

"We don't live on the coast but close enough. Playing in the water and with the kelp is like playing Poseidon.... god of the sea and river and lakes. It's cool. And  it's a  like the sea monster from Scooby Doo"

This image was submitted by Conner from San Jose, CA.

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WOW your Water

Wow your Water?   It should read, be WOWED by your Water.

1. Roughly 70 percent of an adult’s body is made up of water.
2. At birth, water accounts for approximately 80 percent of an infant’s body weight.
3. A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day
4. Pure water (solely hydrogen and oxygen atoms) has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.
5. Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it.
6. The earth is a closed system, similar to a terrarium, meaning that it rarely loses or gains extra matter. The same water that existed on the earth millions of years ago is still present today.
7. By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.

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Great Memories

"What could be better than bling on water? It was a little harder than the kids anitcipated but tons of fun especially for the girls since BIG brother was doing all peddling. Great memories!"

This image was submitted by Chris from the North Shore in CA.

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 Water Levels 

Kings beach in Lake Tahoe was named for card shark, Joe King won the town site from George Whittell. While the drought in the western United States is not "new" news, the visuals are still sometimes striking.

 

"Two years ago we were dangling our feet off the launch and jumping into deep water."

This image was submitted by Colby in Tahoe, CA.

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 Wet Dog

"Who can resist playing in the surf ?"

This image was shared by Kayce S  from CA.

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Swimming Hole

If you find yourself driving along Highway 9 in Felton California you may just want to pull to the side of the road and jump in a cool swimming hole. This is where the locals play, not far from Roaring Camp, Big Trees and Pacific Railroad.

These images were shared by Cole in Seascape, CA.

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Water Bombs Away

In 1824, inventor Michael Faraday created the most common type of rubber balloon  to be used with various gases and liquids. It wasn't until 1950 that the first commercially marketed water balloon was produced by Edgar Ellington. Its creation was the result of  a failed attempt to invent a waterproof sock to solve the disease known as trench foot.

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Tides

"Gravity is a major force responsible for creating tides. Inertia, acts to counterbalance gravity. It is the tendency of moving objects to continue moving in a straight line. Together, gravity and inertia are responsible for the creation of two major tidal bulges on the Earth (Ross, D.A., 1995)"

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  has an education department that is committed to  building ocean, costal and climate literacy for children and adults. The website offers simple explanations of complex issues coupled with fun activities. For example, did you now that there are spring tides and Fall tides? Click here to learn more.

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Dead Palms

In between Arizona and California there is a fair amount of dry desert. With a fair amount of tenacity and bullheadedness, people have hunkered down and homesteaded this dry land. Some have even tried to create their own mini oasis only to quickly learn that palm like heat and water.

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Rock Pool

This used to be a 14,500 gallon swimming pool. Now it's filled in with dirt and rock. Definitely not refreshing on a 117 degree summer day but it saves water.

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Water- God's Free Gift

This fountain is in the downtown historic Civic Plaza in Watsonville, California. The Watsonville Union erected the fountain in 1893 as a source of clean water for the public.

A modern fountain was later installed in front of the original.

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Flash Flood Fire

Floods are more common after a wildfire. Under normal conditions, vegetation absorbs rainfall, thereby reducing water runoff. However, wildfires leave the ground charred, barren, and unable to absorb water, which creates conditions ideal to flash flooding and mudflow. The risk of flooding in landscape damaged by wildfire remains high until the vegetation is restored which can take years.

This image was submitted from Los Angeles County

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Tiki Wink

A Tiki is a Polynesian large wooden carving of a humanoid figure.They often serve to mark the boundaries of sacred or important lands. In admiration of the traditional Tiki this marker is placed at a commonly used  beach entrance in Santa Cruz. The beach, the ocean, the water, is sacred to many.

This image was submitted from Santa Cruz County, CA.

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Pack Your Trash

Garbage has changed. Since 1974 the production of plastic has increased by 650% and it does not biodegrade like other forms of products we humans consume. According to a recent study in Newsweek, "there are 5.3 trillion pieces of plastic, weighing nearly 270,000 tons, on the surface of the world’s oceans." Mind you that approximation is only of visible pieces.  What can you do? Don't litter. Buy products with less packaging. Use reusable products. Recycle.

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What's the Catch?

September of 2014 the Hamilton Project came out with a report discussing the challenges  and opportunities facing the fishing industry. The report stated,"the U.S. fishing industry contributed $89.4 billion to the U.S. economy in 2012 and accounted for 1.7 million jobs nationwide. The economic contribution of the fishing industry is split between commercial and recreational fishing, contributing $59.0 billion and $30.4 billion. " Can we say HOLY MACKEREL !

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Finding Water

Summer days in the Arizona desert are hot. Every creature is either looking for a parcel of shade or oasis of water. The valley of the sun has an average rainfall of 8 inches. Water is a treat.

This image was submitted by Grace in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Sea Dogs

Once upon a time sharks were referred to as sea dogs by mariners. There are believed to be over 400 different species of shark swimming in the world's water bodies. Sharks primarily live in salt water but bull sharks and river sharks can live in freshwater. The smallest known shark is the dwarf lantern shark and the largest is the whale shark growing upwards of 60 ft in length. Approximately 100 million sharks are killed  a year.

This image was sent in by Sophia E. from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. 

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Orange Buckets of Water

"The average Santa Cruz County Resident uses 95 gallons of water a day- that 19 

home depot buckets of water!"

This image was sent in by a Santa Cruz, California resident.

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Beach Shower

The summer in California means sun, surf, salt and sand. Yes, lots of sand. Believe it or not most beach goers are not fans of  the sand. Normally this salty crowd frequents the beach showers to rinse away the day's residue. However, this summer due to the state wide drought all state beach showers will be turned off. 

My Your Our Water

Water Refill Station

 This image was submitted from Coachella Music Festival. This water refill station not only made sure that concert goers did not get dehydrated in the middle of the desert but it helped eliminate a gross amount of plastic waste. Believe it or not water refill stations are becoming the trend in airports, gyms, and schools. They are a quick, green and for the most part, clean!!!

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Desert Hot Springs

Desert Hot Springs is a small city located in the Coachella Valley of California. In 2010 it reported a population of approximately 26,000. With an average yearly rain fall of less than 5 inches, the city relies on one of two aquifers for water. The cold aquifer of the Mission Springs Sub-Basin provides the town with fresh drinking water while the  Desert Hot Springs Sub-Basin aquifer has several natural hot springs which support the areas resorts and spas. 

This image was submitted by Marie M. passing through Desert Hot Springs, CA.

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Friends of Los Angeles River

This image was submitted from the 26th annual La Gran Limpieza - aka river clean -sponsored by the Friends of Los Angeles River. FOLAR is a non-profit established " in 1986  protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the Los Angeles River and its riparian habitat through inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship.Since then we’ve expanded to become the Los Angeles River’s foremost advocate and have developed groundbreaking education and community programs.Every day Friends of the Los Angeles River works to create a swimmable, fishable, boatable, bikeable Los Angeles River.The River is yours to enjoy!"

This image was submitted by Steven from LA.

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The Bottom of the Ocean

Between Phoenix and Los Angeles there is a stretch  of road that passes through the most desolate areas of the Mojave Desert. This area receives an average rainfall of 5inches. This is it. 

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Filling the Pool and Our Bellies

The average 21-foot round pool with a depth of 52 inches holds 14,500 gallons of water.

It requires 1847 gallons of water to produce  1 pound of beef.

It requires 518 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of chicken.

It requires 704 gallons of water to produce one pound of lentils. 

It requires 1,929 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of almonds.

It requires 2061 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of chocolate

It requires 1,056 gallons of water to produce one gallon of brewed coffee.

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Drinking Fountain

The notion of fountains has been for thousands of years since ancient Greece. We can all day dream about Socrates or Plato filling up a jug of water  from a fancy temple fountain or the Romans building the aqueducts to fill glorious urban fountains. BUT the first official public drinking fountain was not unveiled until 1859 in London as an out cry from the public for clean water. It was so popular  that hundreds were built over the next several decades and by 1879 there were over 800 drinking fountain in the city of London. 

This image was submitted from Highway 177.

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Looking for a Lake

A bridge section of the Interstate 10 that goes between Arizona and California collapsed during a torrential rainstorm on July 19. The estimation is a $5million repair price tag. In the mean time this speed boat was detoured through the mojave desert. The irony was not missed by the delayed travelers.

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Raindrops and Duckies

"Sometimes the rain is so soft and tiny in the desert, that the only way to know it's raining is to watch the raindrops fall in the pool."

This image was submitted from Phoenix, AZ.

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Make it Rain

"The irony of this tattoo is not lost on me as a Californian. The economic hardships equated with this on going drought are torrential. Water is food. Water is money."

This was submitted by Chad in San Francisco, CA.

My Your Our Water