| Water supply shortages have become a pressing issue in the arid American Southwest. Coastal regions are not immune to water scarcity threats. Nearly at build out, Orange County, California has little capacity for off stream water storage, stormwater catchment, or infrastructure upgrades. Water conservation can decrease the counties future water deficits by as much as 10 to 30 percent. This project investigated the effectiveness of institutional, managerial, and educational strategies at promoting outdoor water conservation measures in Orange County. The study included an analysis of water efficient landscape municipal codes and water agency price policies and landscaping education programs. Validation of these measures' success was achieved by examining native plant availability at nursery, hardware, and home improvement stores. Research methods consisted of interviews, observations, and data analysis. The results of various components of this study were spatially identified using ESRI ArcGIS 9.0 software. A visual assessment was used to discern relationships, if any, between water efficient landscape policies, water use, public education efforts, and market acceptance of drought tolerant vegetation. The results of this study show the lack of coordinated efforts between legislative, economic, and educational efforts can reduce the capacity of individuals to adopt conservation practices. |
