Beautiful Sights at PCWD
Archive for Pets and Animals
Fun Ways to Enjoy your Watershed
- Take a hike… get out and see, hear, and smell the world in your backyard.
- Stop and Smell the flowers…the mountain, the hills, the valley, Lupine, Sage
- Spend Some Quality Time with your Pet…leash your dog or cat (bring a bag for pet waste). Ride a horse or mule. Check out the trails together
- Play in the Garden…add native plants to your garden – Manzanita, California Lilac, Toyon, and Sage. Use biological controls instead of pesticides, Conserve water.
- Get Down and Dirty…volunteer with other organizations. Help plant trees, restore habitat, and clean-up your watershed
- Tap into Watershed Consciousness…the big picture! Remember your street and storm drains lead to the ocean.
- Sing, Shout, Get the Word Out!…let friends, family, and officials know how you feel about preserving and restoring the San Jacinto.
- Explore your watershed…discover the San Jacinto watershed, all 780 miles of diverse plant life, animals, its human communities, and wonderful cultural gems.
- Plan a Bright Future…participate in the San Jacinto watershed planning efforts. Bring a friend. Log onto www. sawpa.org/sjrwx
- You Can Make a Difference!…embrace our natural resources. Protect habitat and enjoy your watershed.
BirdBuddy Viewing
Hello from Pine Cove Water District BirdBuddy!
Extreme Winter Weather Precautions!
The weather station is predicting some inclement weather coming up soon. Here are some reminders of important steps you can take to protect yourself, your pet (if applicable) and your dwelling during very cold, icy and snowy conditions. These steps will help you be prepared for any extreme freeze in your area and help you stay safe and warm.
Pitch In:
When cold weather and extreme snow storms hit, it is important for everyone to pitch in and be a community. Things you can do to help include: If you are clearing snow from your car or around it, please place any snow onto grassy areas. Please don’t place snow onto sidewalks, roadways, fire hydrants or other areas that have already been cleared.
Heat:
Set your heater on at least 60-65 degrees and leave it on until any threat of a freeze is over. If there is an extreme risk of freezing, leave your faucets dripping a very small amount of water – both your hot water and cold water. Leave cabinet doors under any sink area open so warm air can circulate around pipes.
Space Heaters:
We recommend that you not utilize a space heater unless absolutely necessary. But, if you are utilizing one there are important steps you must take. Please read the manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels carefully.
Some key things to consider include:
Keep it at least three feet away from any other object – including papers, clothing and rugs – and maintain a three-foot radius around the space heaters. Place space heaters on level, flat surfaces. Never place heaters on cabinets, tables, furniture or carpet. Be sure to never leave a space heater unattended, and turn it off when you’re leaving a room or going to sleep. Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Do not use an extension cord or power strip, which could overheat. Do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater.
Ovens & Candles:
Please do not in any instance ever use your oven to provide any heat. While it is ok to cook with the oven door closed, leaving oven doors open, even just a crack, can omit carbon monoxide (CO), which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Never leave lit candles unattended or burning close to any papers, clothing, rugs or curtains.
Other Ways to Stay Warm at Home:
Consider placing rolled up towels at the base of any exterior door – especially any patio doors. This will help keep any slight cold drafts from entering. If needed, grab a blanket and a sweatshirt and head over to the warming center located at the town library. Consider grabbing a hot cup of coffee or tea on your way.
No Frozen Pipes:
Keep faucets running at a slow drip. This will ensure constant water circulation through the pipes and help prevent the water from standing still and freezing. Also, keep your dwelling heated to at least 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature falls below 60 degrees, the pipes may freeze and break, causing a leak that will more than likely affect not only your home, but all those surrounding you.
Braving the Cold:
If you have to go outside, dress in lightweight layers. Using several thinner layers can provide better insulation than one or two thick layers. If possible, the first layer should be long underwear made out of a nonabsorbent material. If you have to be outside for an extended period of time, make sure your feet stay dry. This is key to keeping our bodies warm. To keep feet dry in cold, snowy weather, wear waterproof boots and socks made of fleece, IsoWool or similar type fabrics. In extreme winter conditions, ice accumulation is often inevitable. Please take extra caution when navigating exterior stair wells, sidewalks, parking garage/lots, etc..
Keeping Pets Safe & Warm:
Our pets will need to go outside regardless of weather conditions. So if you are a pet owner, put booties on their paws before taking them outside. Cold air, sleet and snow can give pets chapped paws and itchy, flaking skin. And if their paws aren’t covered, pets can risk exposure to dangerous chemicals from ice-melting agents that they may then lick off of their bare paws. Again, if you don’t have booties available, your socks will do the trick. And be sure to check their paws when they come inside as chunks of ice can get stuck in between their paws.
Don’t Forget Your Ice and Snow-Covered Car:
Keep your gas tank full. Cold temperatures can cause condensation to form on the walls of a nearly empty gas tank. Soon, that water can drip down into the gas. Since water is heavier than gas, it will eventually sink to the bottom of the tank, where it can make its way into the fuel lines and freeze, blocking the flow of gas into your engine and stranding you.
Stay safe and warm this season.
Rattlesnake Awareness
Have you come across a rattlesnake? We have them all around, not just on hiking trails. They hide in rock formations and stacks of logs.
Although fatalities are rare from bites, they occur. Most recently there was an article of a fatal rattlesnake bite in Colorado. The article that can be found here has a lot of good advice of what to do and what not to do if you or someone you are with gets bitten.
The main things I’d like to share (because the article is lengthy) are:
* Notify local emergency staff
* If the snake is still in the vicinity, move carefully away to a safe location
* If you can do so safely, take a picture of the snake for identification
* Have the victim lie flat keeping the bite location even with the heart and rest – do not leave them alone
* Allow bite to bleed freely for about 30 seconds and then clean and disinfect the area
* Wrap a bandage from an area just above the bite past the knee or elbow joint
* Remove all jewelry and tight-fitting clothing as the bitten appendage will swell
DO NOT:
* apply oral suction to the bite
* make any sort of incision
* apply ice, hot or cold packs
* take aspirin or use any medication
* eat or drink unless approved by a physician
Other tips
* Snakes are often heard before they are seen – once heard, freeze and assess the situation
* Establish a safe distance – good rule of thumb is to put at least 5 ft between yourself and the snake
* Move slowly back the way you came
* Wear sturdy leather boots that cover the ankles
* Watch where you place feet and hands at all times
* Be aware of your surroundings – DO NOT wear headphones or ear buds
* A coiled up snake is ready to attack!
Stay safe everyone!
Updates from The Office
We’re into the second month of the new year and so much has happened. Here are a few highlights.
Office re-opened to foot traffic:
Due to illnesses in the office, we had temporarily closed the office to foot traffic. We are happy to announce that we are fully open once again. We ask that you wear a mask when in the building and if someone is already at our counter that you respectfully wait outside to limit the number of people inside.
Stage II Water Conservation:
As of Tuesday, February 1, 2022 Pine Cove entered into Stage II of Water Conservation.
Stage II is mandatory compliance.
Customers are required to limit irrigation of outdoor plants and gardens to the period between 6pm and 8am daily and stop all water runoff. Customers cannot fill or refill swimming pools except the small amount needed to replace evaporation in already filled pools. Vehicles can only be washed using a bucket and a hose with a shut-off nozzle. Immediate repairs must be made to any and all leaking water lines and faucets in household plumbing and yard piping. Customers must also cease watering native vegetation and unplanted areas for dust control. Restaurants shall only provide drinking water to patrons upon specific request.
If you have any questions or concerns, you may talk to General Manager Jeremy Potter 951-659-2675 or email at jpotter@pcwd.org.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing efforts to help conserve water.
Billing Charges increased:
Effective 2/1/2022, the bi-monthly minimum will be $77.00 for two month billing period, excluding any water usage. Water usage will be billed as follows:
$7.00 per thousand gallons from 0 to 7,500 gallons
$9.00 per thousand gallons from 7,500 to 15,000 gallons
$11.00 per thousand gallons over 15,000
Special Rates and Charges (Resolution #561)
Normal Customer Requested Turn On or Off; changed from $15 to $20
After Hours customer Requested Turn On or Off; changed from a minimum of $40 to a minimum of $50
Delinquent Turn On/Off; changed from $75 to $90
Transfer Fee; changed from $45 to $60
Where more than one (1) Premises exists or is located on a Parcel, a unit charge of $20.00 will be assessed for each separate Premises in addition to normal water use charges for the Parcel, as prescribed in the Rates Schedule.
Personnel change:
General Manager Jerry Holldber has retired as of 12/31/2021
Jeremy Potter has taken the position as our new General Manager as of 1/1/2022
Chris Dumas has been promoted to Leadman
Jensen Beri has been put on full time / permanent status
Gracie, our official Mouse Patroller has a new home with Kat Garver
And we have welcomed our newest office pet – Mousekewitz; a little chihuahua-mix dog
We hope all is well with you and as always, we are here for any questions or concerns.
August Billing
August billing is going out this week. If you get emailed bills, you should’ve already received yours.
This months mailed billing includes a notice of Possible Water Conservation Changes, a family friendly Wildfire Readiness event on August 7th, a flyer from the fire department with Wildland Fire Safety for Your Livestock and Pets, as well as an informational brochure from National Weather Service San Diego with helpful information. In case you don’t get the paper mailing, I’ve attached those items here.
Possible Water Conservation Changes
Let’s Get Wildfire Ready Event
Wildland Fire Safety for Your Livestock and Pets
National Weather Service San Diego brochure
Water bills are mailed around the 1st of the Billing Month (even months). All bills are due and payable by the 1st of the following month (odd months). Any bill not paid by the due date will be termed delinquent and subject to a $15.00 late fee and/or termination. If shut off, a reconnect fee of $75.00 will be charged, in addition to current amount due, to re-establish service.
There are several ways to pay your bill.
ACH Auto Draft is a free service; the payment is automatically taken out of your bank account. (filled out form required).
You can log on to your account online, and pay with a Visa/Mastercard/Discover, or E-check. To register your account online, you will need your account number, and the Municipality Code which is PineCoveWDCA. Go to www.pcwd.org and click the “Billing” tab and the Payment option link. Next, click on the www.ub-pay.com link and register your account from there.
You can come into the office and pay by check, cash, or card. One person at a time with a mask.
Drop payments thru the slot on the front door or mail a check or money order.
Please note that there is a convenience fee of $3.00 per hundred dollars charged if using a credit card.
Monarchs Part 2
We have had an exciting season of hatching monarch butterflies. We are proud to be certified and registered as an official Monarch Waystation through www.monarchwatch.org.
Our new sign reads: This site provides milkweeds, nectar sources, and shelter needed to sustain monarch butterflies as they migrate through North America.
We really enjoy watching the process from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to hatching. Over the last week, we have released almost 20 healthy monarch butterflies and we still have a baker’s dozen more chrysalis’. I hope you enjoy our pictures through this journey.
Click here to read a story about another beautiful soul trying to raise the population of monarch butterflies.
Want to help the monarch community? Keep your eyes out on our blog and newsletters for a fun give away coming up soon.
What’s the difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon?
The words cocoon and chrysalis are often used interchangibly when talking about monarchs and other butterflies. However, they are two completely different things! Cocoons are specific to moths, while chryslises are formed by butterflies. Moths spin silk around themselves and molt inside the silk casing. This provides extra warmth and protection from the surrounding environment. You can usually find cocoons attached to the side of something or burried under ground or in leaf litter.
Chrysalises, on the other hand, are not silk. Butterflies molt into a chrysalis, which is a hard exoskeleton covering that protects the developing butterfly beneath. Chrysalises are typically found hanging from something. For example, monarchs spin a small silk button to hang upside down from before molting from head to abdomen!
(information taken from Monarch Joint Venture)
Posted in: Animals, Garden, Monarch Butterflies, Pets and Animals, The Garden
Leave a Comment (0) →Monarch Butterflies are Emerging
We have been releasing Monarch Butterflies all week. Most of them look great but there are the few sad ones that emerge with some deformities like bent or shriveled wings. Below you can see three examples of chrysalis and the one on the far right will not make it to becoming a butterfly but the one on the left looks like it will emerge any minute and you can even see the beautifully formed orange wings. The green one in front looks healthy.
