Governor Gavin Newsom called for a 15% reduction in water consumption, but we are still far from this goal.

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The result: Californians did not save enough water.

In the historic drought, Governor Gavin Newsom asked us to reduce water consumption by 15%. However, in August, the most recent month when data is available, our usage dropped by only 5% compared to the same period last year.

Of course, not all water conservation is the responsibility of California households. 80% of California's water is used for agriculture, and other companies also play an important role.

But this does not mean that we cannot save more-and many of us seem to be working hard. You write to me saying to make your car dusty and your lawn brown, collect cold water to cook pasta and fill your dog's bowl.

The state provides these simple water saving tips, and below I share some more creative tips you sent me:

"Showing once every other day and shortening the shower time is easy to save water. We have no reason to need to shower every day unless we are completely covered by dirt due to work. This does not apply to many people." — Amy Si Keeves Cox, Ross

"My husband and I switched to the rule of'if it is yellow, make it softer' in our house, and were very pleasantly surprised by its effect in reducing water consumption. This is better than watering the lawn less and shortening it. Showering time and reducing laundry are more influential." — Meredith Alcala, Alameda

"We are installing a grey water system from the laundry room to the landscape. We no longer use sprinklers to irrigate the 75-foot-tall blue Atlas cedar, 75-foot-tall redwoods and three smaller redwoods , But water them every time you wash your clothes." — Roger Bergman, Santa Barbara

"We started to put a fairly large metal bowl at the bottom of the kitchen sink. When we wash fruits or vegetables or just rinse something with water, we collect water and use it for our container plants. So the fruits and vegetables we eat The more we grow, the more we grow!" —Jessica Corning, Big Sur

"I bought a shower clock. I am surprised how helpful it is. I write down the time as soon as I turn on the water and take a shower as soon as possible." — Diane E. Johnson, Mission Viejo

"My children (13, 16) don't like us urging them to bathe intermittently, but they did. The strange thing is that a 13-year-old would even realize our drought. Growing up in the Bay Area, I Of course I didn’t know the state of California’s water resources when I was a child." — Hunter Harbie, Berkeley

"We have been living in California for 36 years. From the beginning, we have been very careful with water, because we know that we now live in a semi-desert area. We put a bowl in the kitchen sink and all the water will flow there. Empty the plants many times a day. We use the dishwasher every six days, wear longer clothes between washings, abandon the swimming pool and lawn many years ago, and replace many plants with plants that don’t require much water. , Use less water in the garden, flush toilets less frequently, and bathe "up and down" between less frequent showers. We don't smell!!!

In the way we have saved, it is difficult for us to reduce water consumption by 15%. We will do our best to help save this beautiful state. "— Rosalind Roberts, Los Gatos

Despite the severe drought, how can San Diego have water.

The tribal country has lost 99% of its historical territory. Where they live now is more vulnerable to climate threats.

Vaccinate children with Covid-19: According to the Associated Press, since children between the ages of 5 and 11 were vaccinated for the first time with Covid-19, on Wednesday at some vaccination sites in California, treasure hunters and explosive animals greeted the children .

Consequences of the port backlog: The Associated Press reported that supply chain problems have left California farmers nowhere to export their crops.

A bird? an airplane? : After the pilot again reported a strange figure floating over Los Angeles, the FBI released a working theory of the incident.

Pollution in San Diego: San Diego allows top air pollution industries to emit carcinogenic toxins at a rate much higher than most areas in California. According to the Voice of San Diego, this may change soon.

Electricity prices rise during dinner time: Southern California Edison provides electricity to millions of people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, and will soon start charging higher between 4pm and 9pm The Orange County Registry reports.

"Cagney & Lacey" model: Margaret York (Margaret York) is a homicide detective who helped inspire police dramas in the 1980s and became the highest-level woman in the Los Angeles Police Department at the age of 80.

Garcetti signs contract with Covid: According to the Associated Press, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tested positive for the coronavirus while attending the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow.

Save some of the oldest trees in the world: According to the Associated Press, volunteers are planting seedlings of sequoia in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which is one of many extraordinary measures taken to protect these ancient trees.

The hospital has plenty of capacity: The Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia has the largest number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients in the state, but there are no beds for any new patients, Fresno Bee reports.

Alameda County Director Killed: According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Wilma Chen, a longtime Democratic politician, was hit and killed by a motorist while walking her dog on Wednesday.

San Francisco's vaccine regulations: According to the San Francisco Chronicle, children between 5 and 11 years old can now be vaccinated against Covid-19, and they will eventually be required to show proof of vaccination before they can enter certain public places in the city.

Slow cooker mushroom wild rice soup.

Today’s travel tip comes from Lynn Beldner, who recommended Woodland in Central Valley:

The Barn Gallery (funded by Yolo Arts), lovely city center, farm visits, inspiring scenery, and delicious restaurants. I moved here from Auckland and it changed my life.

Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in the upcoming newsletter.

Browse photos of Gucci's first live show on Hollywood Boulevard since 2020.

After all disappeared between 2014 and 2020, the seaweed forest on the north coast is an important habitat for marine life. Since last year, its area has approximately doubled.

"These kelp are found all over the world, but I think they are so iconic for California," Kyle Cavano, a professor at UCLA, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "They lay the foundation for the entire ecosystem: fish, invertebrates, birds, marine mammals."

thanks for reading. I will be back tomorrow. — Sumia

PS This is today's mini crossword puzzle, and there is another clue: flip its head (5 letters).

Steven Moity and Mariel Wamsley contributed to "California Today". You can contact the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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