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Drought got you bummed? Save Water & Money With These Tips

On July 8, 2021, the State of California declared a state of emergency in response to climate change and worsening drought conditions.

As of August 19, the U.S. Drought monitor reported that Santa Clara County is facing extreme drought. With the county’s water shortage emergency making national news headlines, you are not alone if you’re experiencing eco-anxiety. 

But there is hope amid this climate crisis. Through small, everyday actions we can all help protect our water supply - and (bonus) you’ll save money while doing it!

Keep reading to learn how you can make every drop count, and how the Open Space Authority works to protect and restore water resources.

Drought Resilience Through Restoration

In June 2021, the Open Space Authority released the Coyote Valley Water Resource Investment Strategy (CVWRIS) report. The report was developed in partnership with Valley Water, detailing the water resource impacts of large-scale restoration projects in Coyote Valley, just south of San José.

Coyote Valley Conservation Lands Network Grows with Historic Ranch Purchase

On August 9th, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority), in partnership with the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), finalized the $5 million purchase of the historic Tilton Ranch Complex. The 60-acre parcel, which includes residential and operational buildings at the heart of the ranch, completes the protection of this historic and environmentally important property. Other supporting partners include Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department and Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency. The partners acquired and protected 1,861 acres of Tilton Ranch in October 2020.

Five Benefits to Protecting Coyote Valley

Coyote Valley is a rural landscape located at the southern edge of San José, California in Santa Clara County. Due to its location and natural resources, Coyote Valley has long been a place where human and natural communities intersect. The long-term vision is to make Coyote Valley a landscape for all, forever. Check out the list below to learn some of the benefits of protecting these lands.

White-Tailed Kite: A Conservation Success Story

With scientists warning that humanity is causing the sixth mass-extinction of Earth’s history, it’s not often we hear uplifting stories about the success of an endangered species. And more seldom do such stories take place right in our own backyard. This is the case, however, for the white-tailed kite, a once highly endangered bird – and even locally extinct, in some areas. Much to our excitement, the white-tailed kite is defying the odds and making quite the resurgence in Santa Clara Valley.

Peninsula Open Space Trust and the Open Space Authority Take New Approach to restoring Coyote Valley's Watershed

Updated on Thursday, July 15, 2021

In 2020, severely dry conditions resulted in yet another record-shattering fire year across the West. Amid rising summer temperatures, California’s rapidly shrinking water supply reveals an urgent need to address the State’s worsening drought, a side effect of our warming climate. It also draws attention to local water management practices, and the importance of groundwater as a water source during droughts. Together, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the Open Space Authority are monitoring local drought conditions and using nature-based solutions like groundwater monitoring to help inform floodplain and habitat restoration projects to help make drought impacts less severe.