Applications Are Open for Waterwise Garden Recognition Contest

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The Santa Barbara County Water Agency and participating local water providers are  pleased to announce the opening of applications for the 2022 WaterWise Garden Recognition Contest. The annual contest recognizes residents of Santa Barbara County  who have attractive, water-efficient landscapes. Residents can apply for the contest  online to compete for an agency award and the countywide grand prize. Winners will  have their gardens featured online and receive an engraved stone boulder.  

Water Agency Manager Matt Young said, “This has been our second consecutive  extremely dry winter, with rainfall currently 53% of our annual average. Installing and  maintaining water-efficient gardens is a great way to conserve this precious resource.”  

Residents of single-family homes are eligible to apply if they reside in areas served by  the Carpinteria Valley Water District, the Vandenberg Village Community Services  District, the Montecito Water District, and the cities of Santa Barbara, Solvang and  Buellton. 

View contest rules and apply online at WaterWiseSB.org/GardenContest. All  applications are due by April 30, 2022. 

Fifty to seventy percent of water use in an average home in Santa Barbara County goes  toward landscape irrigation. Water-wise gardens can greatly reduce landscape water use, save money, and are beautiful and easy to maintain. There are dozens of easy  ways to make a garden more water-efficient, such as choosing native or water-wise  plants, installing a smart irrigation controller, or simply using the online Weekly Watering  Percent to adjust your existing sprinkler timer based on the weather.  

Visit WaterWiseSB.org to learn more ways to use water more efficiently in your  landscape, see previous contest winners, and apply.