Clovis water officials hope for lighter regulations after wet year

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The wet weather has raised hopes that this summer won't be quite so dry for lawns and gardens here in the Valley.

A good water year has been a boost to lawns and gardens and folks seem more confident about the water supply.

It's meant good business for local nurseries.

"Especially every time it rains there has been a big influx of people that come it brings that confidence back of being able to take care of your yard and your plants and water them well," Kristin Vencill with Belmont Gardens Nursery said.

The wetter weather and increase water supply has the city of Clovis feeling better about its water supply.

This year our water allocation off the Kings River is near normal," Luke Serpa with the Clovis Public Utilities Department said. "So, this year is a good water year."

Serpa says the state appears ready to give cities like Clovis, which has cut water used by more than 30 percent, more control of their water.

He says it's possible but too soon to say if the city could return to a three day a week watering schedule for the summer, up from the current two day a week limit.

"It's possible," he said. "We are waiting to see what the state does, the final regulations and how they are implemented but it is possible."

More will be known about how much water will be available will come after the May 18 meeting of the state water resources control board, but Serpa notes, no matter what, we need to get used to conserving water.

"We have to realize El Nino did not provide the gullywasher some people had hoped for," Serpa said. "It helped, it hasn't solved the crisis, and in California, it's not a matter if there's going to be another drought, it's just when it's going to be."

But for now, home gardeners are hopeful.

"I would say yes," Vencill said. "People are gung-ho."