It has finally begun to rain!  It may be in the cards for us to receive a decent amount of rain this winter.  Make sure that you all take advantage of this time and turn off your irrigation systems.  As you probably know, 2009 was California's third straight year of drought.  And though it may feel like the plight is over because of the recent rains, remember that  the deficit of rainfall has cumulatively added up in these past few years and one year of normal rain fall (if we are fortunate to have a "normal" year in 2010) will not magically erase the damage done.  Conservation is no less important now and should remain a responsible practice for everyone.  Now is the time to make changes in how we manage and think about water.