NEWEST OFFICERS OFFER NEW SURVEY

Hello Castlewood/Oak Valley Denizens,

We would like to kick off 2015 by getting to get to know you better. As the newest members of the COVNA officer team, we’d like to fully utilize our resources and request your assistance with completing a brief survey. This was previously done, but with new leadership, we thought it was once again time to address your priorities.

Why would we want to dedicate our time to alignment instead of just soldiering on?  The reality is the COVNA leadership team is a volunteer group, so we are fairly limited when it comes to availability and resources.  With a clear set of priorities, it is possible for us to work on things that have the greatest impact on the neighborhood; we’d like to focus on what matters most to you. This is your opportunity to share your ideas as we plan neighborhood activities for 2015.

The survey will be open through the end of March.  The link will also be posted to the COVNA website and shared via the email distribution list. This is a short, 5 question survey, plus room for comments; all responses are anonymous.  The results will be sent out through the newsletter, the email list, and the website.

Click on the link below to take part in the survey.   We hope to hear from each and every household, your opinion is valued.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/TJG9ZGC

Thanks,
Paco and Matt

DROUGHT NOT OVER

The graph shows the average water level of Lake Travis (680 is considered full) and the population of Texas from 1942 to 2014.  Below is a brief history of the 1950s drought.  It is frightening that during such a horrific drought as Texas experienced in the ‘50s the lake could refill but has not done so in the last few years.  It may be that sustained rains will do the job but with so many more people depending on Lake Travis it is clear we must all do our part to preserve this precious resource.  Go to www.austintexas.gov/department/water-conservation-residents for water saving methods and available rebates.

In Texas, there is still the drought against which all other droughts are measured: the seven-year dry spell in the 1950s. It was so devastating that agriculture losses exceeded those of the Dust Bowl years, and it kicked off the modern era of water planning in Texas.

From 1950 to 1957, the sky dried up and the rain refused to fall. The ground desiccated and cracked open. The relentless sun burned off the grass and baked the ground.

The people who lived through the drought remember dust storms as bad or worse than those of the Dust Bowl days in the 1930s, fearsome dust storms that turned noonday into night, so dark that schoolteachers. led their students to the buses hand in hand so they wouldn't get lost. The dust storms were so powerful that the grit abraded the paint clean off the license plates on cars unfortunate enough to drive through them.

After the drought, water planners doubled the number of reservoirs in Texas, and all of these storage lakes served the state's water needs well until the drought of 2011.

Today, Texas faces the same challenge it did in the 1950s: where to find more water.

SAVE WATER - IRRIGATION

• Thoroughly check your system each spring when you first turn it on and repair any leaks as soon as possible.

• Call 512-974-2199 to schedule a free from Irrigation System Evaluation from Austin Water.

• Rebates may be available for upgrading your irrigation system to increase water-efficiency.

• Adjust sprinklers so that only your lawn is being watered.  Realign any heads that are spraying too high in the air, onto pavement or structures, or into tall grass or shrubs. 

• After each mowing, check to make sure sprinkler heads haven’t been broken or knocked out of alignment.

• Use drip irrigation for bedded plants, shrubs, and trees to apply water directly to the roots where it’s needed.

• Water your lawn during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest to reduce evaporation and waste

Advertise in the COVNA Newsletter
Only $10.00/month. Reaches over 400 homes & Online at COVNA.org
Email Hal Ferguson to see if space is available at hkferguson37@yahoo.com

Polar bear cub at Svalbard, Norway