Water Hauling Texas

Once a week watering is enough for beautiful landscapes

City of Midland code enforcement recently found several dozen scofflaws watering illegally. I am sure there were many more. The installers and sellers of automatic sprinkling systems sold their product with the promise of "a little bit of water every night is the ideal situation for plants." Many such systems put down 100 inches of water a year, and the systems often remain on all winter.

Not everyone has automatic systems, but those who do are often the worst water wasters (not purposefully, but out of ignorance.) In a story earlier this year I commented the duck pond at Wadley Barron Park was an example of our wasteful ways with automatic watering systems. The pond is drying up now, so the folks in that neighborhood are doing a better job of watering appropriately. After the story, people on the forums on mywesttexas.com were in denial, claiming the duck pond was spring-fed, or that the city kept it full of water.

I have a patch of green Bermuda grass in my front yard. I water it for an hour or so every Sunday. I also have a little side yard with perennial flowers I planted this year. I have lost some, but most are growing well. They get an hour of water, too. Deep watering is the key to maintaining healthy plants, even in a drought. Mulch is important, too. There should never be bare soil in a garden.

On our website, www.sibleynaturecenter.org , there are two downloadable files on appropriate plants for landscaping. One file is a list of about 80 species of trees and shrubs. The other is the list of the commercial landscape ordinance for Midland and includes more than 600 species. It also should be the list for a home landscape ordinance, in my opinion. If you are not familiar with the plants, spend some time Googling different species. Everything is on the Internet.

If you are a homeowner with a yard that looks like one from Houston or Dallas, think about revamping your landscape. Start watering once a week using the deep watering method, and wait for plants to die then replace them with plants from one of the lists. If your watering system isn't designed to water deeply, redesign it. You can set stations to come on several times over the watering period. If you have runoff, switch from sprinklers to drip systems.

There is plenty of information available on how to landscape in a water-wise fashion, both in books and online. The xeriscape movement was given that name in Denver in the 1970s. Arboretums, growers and nurseries in Arizona, southern California, New Mexicoand Nevada began preaching appropriate regional landscaping in the 1950s.

Two Miramar-based Marines rescued off coast of Mexico early today ...

SAN DIEGO - Two Miramar-based Marines who were aboard an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet that crashed in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico were rescued early today after spending some four hours in the water, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The Marines -- a pilot and a weapon system officer -- were rescued about 2:30 a.m. in stable condition, said USCG Petty Officer 2nd Class Henry Dunphy, a spokesman for the agency. They were hoisted aboard a Coast Guard helicopter, then immediately flown to a hospital for evaluation, he said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation, said Marine 1st Lt. Maureen Dooley of Miramar.

Two F/A-18 Hornets based in Miramar were flying about 60 nautical miles south of Point Loma about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday when communications with one of the pilots ended, Dunphy said. The second pilot called in, saying he spotted debris in the water.

Two San Diego-based Coast Guard cutters and a C-130 plane from Sacramento were immediately sent to look for the missing aviators, and a U.S Navy ship was diverted to the area to assist. Rescuers aboard one of the cutters heard the Marines calling for help, Dunphy said.

The F/A-18 Hornet is designed for dogfights and attacks on ground targets. It can carry a wide range of ordnance, including air-to-air and air- to-ground missiles.

This week's crash was not the first in recent San Diego history involving an F/A-18 Hornet.

On Dec. 8, 2008, an F/A-18 Hornet crashed into a University City house while approaching Miramar, killing four family members inside. The crash also destroyed a next-door residence that was unoccupied at the time. The pilot, who safely ejected, was placed on probation for what military investigators called a series of bad decisions.

Last March, the engine on another F/A-18 Hornet exploded and caused a fire as the jet was about to launch from the USS John C. Stennis off the coast of San Diego. The aircraft was a total loss and 11 flight deck crew members were injured, but the pilot escaped unscathed.

So far this year, there have been five serious military accidents in the San Diego area. In addition to the crash Wednesday night and the explosion on the Stennis last March, there have been three fatal accidents at the sprawling Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base.

On Jan. 14, a 29-ton amphibious personnel carrier capsized and sank during maneuvers in the Del Mar Boat Basin, killing Iraq war veteran Sgt. Wesley J. Rice, 27, of San Antonio, Texas. A combination of mechanical failures, training lapses and insufficient supervision was blamed for the accident.

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