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CNN Live Today
Drought Has People Rethinking Conservation
Aired July 22, 2002 - 13:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Twenty-nine major wildfires are burning today in eight states out West. In Oregon, National Guard troops are on their way to help firefighters battle a huge blaze that threatens scores of homes now. At last word, the fire had grown to more than 90,000 acres. Today's forecast calls for possible lightning, but no significant rain. In Colorado, hundreds of families have fled a wildfire about 40 miles north of Denver. Hundreds more of those homes have been placed on alert.
Part of the country are enduring record drought conditions, and in some places that has forced new moves toward conserving.
CNN's Kimberly Osias is standing by in Frisco, Colorado, to tell us what folks are doing there.
Kimberly -- now she's got a cap on. OK, it's getting hotter, and it's getting dryer.
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You got it right. I have it on because I need it. You know, you have you light colors, but yet the sun just soaks through. It is incredibly hot. And as you mentioned, Kyra, no signs of relief any time soon. In fact, last night, we did have a little bit of relief: We had some small showers.
And can you take a look down here: We got here a couple hours ago, and it was wet; now almost all completely dry in this soil. So it is incredibly important that folks conserve water. And there's an elite group in Denver designed to make sure that people are doing just that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OSIAS (voice-over): They don the attire and get into gear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4.
And I don't feel like a cop.
OSIAS: They're not in the Men in Black.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three-sixty.
OSIAS: This is the Sod Squad. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on First Avenue.
OSIAS: A posse with a motive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on drought patrol now.
OSIAS: And a mission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our major job is to educate our customers.
OSIAS: What do in tough times calls for drastic measures.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, there's no watering the grass.
OSIAS: Only water your yard every three days during certain times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just part of my job.
OSIAS: Patrolling the streets to make sure everyone complies.
Now, the way the system is set up, the Sod Squad relies on a neighborhood watch of sorts: If you see a problem, report it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that that's something the citizens pretty much have it take on.
OSIAS: Some think it echoes of an Orwellian nightmare.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't rat on anybody, because I wouldn't want anybody to rat on me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we don't happen to actually catch somebody, we're not going to issue them a citation.
OSIAS: Some get green lighted, or, this case, green permitted for exceptions, like new sod.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're good to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Information of restrictions and stuff.
OSIAS: Others get a warning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first time's warning. The second time's a $50 fine. The third time's $150, and fourth time's $250 and a restricter.
OSIAS: In some U.S. cities, you can get thrown in the slammer. Here, the ultimate crackdown they can impose: dry spell -- they cut off all your water.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
We're back now with a live look of Lake Dillon, one of the largest reservoirs here in Colorado. And actually, Kyra, where the camera stands now, it could never have stood before even just last summer. That's because when the reservoir was filled here, in mid '60s, it was all feet under water. And now, of course, that just gives you a really good example of just how much the water level has dropped -- very, very stark, indeed -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kimberly, kind of give me a comparison. I mean, last year or maybe two years compared to now, what would it look like where you're standing: Are people swimming and sailing and enjoying the summer?
OSIAS: That's exactly right. As a matter of fact, this was a boating slip. It was just built last summer to meet the demand. Now, not only do you not see any boats here, they have had to move the entire marina over about four boat slips. So there are very few people, although there are some people, diehards, that are still out; it is just yet to move substantially over quite a big ways.
PHILLIPS: Wow! Kimberly Osias, standing right there in Frisco, Colorado. Thanks, Kimberly.
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