Californians are getting creative to cope with the state’s ongoing extreme drought — from painting their dead lawns green to witchcraft. One of the latest casualties to the state’s water woes: its cemeteries.
Take the historic Savannah Memorial Park located in urban eastern Los Angeles County. Officials there have started replacing lawns with native plants and more drought-tolerant grasses, and using mulch and trees donated from the city to help retain moisture.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Savannah cemetery officials are trying to curb water use by 60 percent:
“No other cemetery in California is even attempting to do this,” Beverly Morton, a Savannah board member, told the newspaper. “They usually let the grass die and the weeds take over.”
Other cemeteries throughout the state, like Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, are considering transitioning out of fresh water and opting for watering their grounds with recycled water, instead. For now, we’re glad a few folks get to rest in peace without making California’s water woes worse.
