Pine Cove residents can pick up free sandbags during office hours. There is a limit of 10 bags per household, as we want to ensure there are enough bags for everyone. The sandbags DO NOT come pre-filled, so please bring a shovel, or come to the office to conveniently borrow our scooper!
If you have any questions, please contact the office at 951-659-2675
Winterize your home now and you’ll not only stay cozy all winter long, but you’ll also save on energy costs and slash your heating bill. Making proper precautions to ensure your home is prepared for winter can save you time, money and a lot of unnecessary hassle!
To prevent damage, it is just as important to winterize your vacant home. Learn how to properly shut off your water valve (in case a pipe bursts) and turn your water off every time you leave your mountain home.
Unplug appliances such as microwaves and toasters to prevent faulty switches.
Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing. Running water, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.
Clean your gutters; make sure water can flow freely through your gutters to avoid icicles and ice dams.
Change your ceiling fans clockwise to force hot air at the ceiling towards the floor.
Replacing the filters in your forced heating unit improves the efficiency of your unit.
Window insulation film can help keep heat from escaping out your windows. Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic.
The simple act of installing a storm door can increase energy efficiency by 45%, by sealing drafts and reducing air flow
Placing a rolled towel at the bottom of your exterior door or a draft guard prevents heat from leaking out.
Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year. Your chimney doesn’t necessarily need to be swept every single year, but it does need an annual inspection. Wood stoves, however, should be swept more often — as soon as they’ve accumulated a quarter of an inch of creosote.
Trim tree branches near your windows, roof, or parking areas before the weight of winter ice and snow can cause them to snap.
Inspect your home for any openings where animals could use to get inside. Make sure your fireplace flue or damper is closed, as bats, birds and squirrels are known to get inside this way.
Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment. Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
It is wise to communicate with a trusted friend or neighbor that your will be gone for a prolonged period of time and they have your contact information. Taking these steps can help protect your home from theft, water damage, and heating or electrical system issues while you are away for an extended period of time.
RivCo Ready on Instagram posted a very important Storm Preparedness checklist. Are you ready? It’s coming back for us.
Remember to turn your customer valve off if leaving your property for an extended amount of time.
Just a quick update that I received from Jon King and his San Jacinto Trail Report. Want to see the full report? Click here and give him a follow.
Fullfire restrictions are in place on Forest Servicelands, as described here. All campfires anywhere in the San Jacinto mountains, including at all USFS campgrounds and yellow post sites, are now prohibited. The total fire ban has finally been extended to Riverside County lands starting 23rd August, including for example the Hurkey Creek campground (thanks to Dan Roberts for updates on the county situation).
The U.S. Forest Service ranger station in Idyllwild remains closed due to USFS coronavirus protocols. Apparently it is unlikely to reopen before October, but possibly much later. Hiking and camping permits are nevertheless required for USFS lands, and should be available at the kiosk outside the ranger station. The State Park ranger station reopened about six months ago.
WEATHER A few days of temperatures around (or even below!) seasonal for the first time in two months came to an end early this week. Daytime high temperatures will again be above average for August starting Wednesday 25th, with overnight low temperatures in particular being well above seasonal, before cooling again to about average in the first couple of days of September. As mentioned above, monsoonal rains are a possibility from 29th August to at least 2nd September. Fire risk remains severe.
The intense storm that brought great damage to our mountain roads and highways on Valentine’s Day and left the community and tourist with only one rout option off the mountain. Today, We are so excited to see that Caltrans announced an update on the accessibility via State Route 74 from Hemet.
Starting this Easter weekend, Saturday April 20th the SR-74 from Hemet to Mountain Center will be reopening with limited access.Pilot car escort access on the SR-74 is will be available Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight in both directions. These hours of operation for the pilot car will only be for this coming holiday weekend and another limited schedule will be in effect starting Monday April 22.
As of Monday April 22nd, driving the SR-74 (Mountain Center to Hemet) will be available with limited access by pilot car seven days a week. The Pilot car access will only be available from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily. This will be the continuing work and pilot car schedule until additional work is completed which will eventually open full access with flagging on the SR-74 until the completion of the project.
Be advised that with the limited access opening of SR-74 there are some Conditions that must be followed during the escort process. Per Caltrans announcement:
Down bound motorists (coming from Mountain Center) on SR-74 for the 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. escort must be in line by 7:45 a.m. or they will not be permitted in the escort process.
The speed limit will be 25 miles per hour during the escort.
Motorists will not be permitted to stop or pull over during the escort.
Motorists will not be permitted to pass other vehicles during the escort.
The construction zone on SR 74 between Mountain Center and Borco will be a “DOUBLE FINE ZONE”.
Sections of SR-74 will have uneven, unpaved roadbed with narrow passage. Be advised that dirt, sand, rock and mud will exist on the SR-74. Low profile vehicles are not recommended.
No drone, video or photos will be permitted while you are using the escorts.
Motorists must follow all commands given by the pilot workers, contractor employees, flaggers, Caltrans crews and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The escorts can be canceled at any time due to safety concerns for the traveling public such as slope issues, rock fall, roadbed concerns and motorists not following traffic laws or escort provisions.
Travelers will experience delays for the limited access on SR-74. All agencies involved in this massive project are committed to keeping the public safe while traveling on SR-74. The contractor will continue to work 24/7 on SR-74 to continue to expedite repairs in preparation for full access.
SR-243 is open to motorists from Idyllwild to Lake Fulmor. SR 243 remains closed from Banning to Idyllwild until further notice to the public.
Well here it is, 10:00 a.m. and there has not been a single drop of moisture yet. No rain and certainly no snow. While it is a brisk 31 degrees and very overcast with the occasional wisp of fog floating by, it is still bone dry. So it is anyone’s guess as to whether or not we will actually see any moisture out of this cold, little storm. We should be back to our normal spring temperatures by the end of the week, so I am hoping we at least get some rain today. But as we all know, we are not in charge. Mother Nature is, so we will see if she favors us with a shower.
Looks like nothing but sunny days for the next week. While I wish I could say rain or snow is coming, it just isn’t so. Now is a good time to get out into your garden and add some compost and mulch to help your soil absorb and retain more water. That way your outdoor watering will become more efficient and you will use less water.
We are offering FREE compost and mulch to all Pine Cove Water District customers in order to help them conserve water outside in their gardens. Yes, you heard right. FREE!!! You can help yourself as the piles of compost and mulch are located behind the water district garage/workshop right here on Marion Ridge Road. If you need an exceptionally large amount, such as a dump truck full, please stop by the office or give us a call during regular business hours. Our phone number is 951-659-2675 and we are open Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm. We want to be sure there is enough for everyone, so please be considerate if you plan to take a large amount so that we can make arrangements for that. Otherwise, just help yourself.
According to Gardening for Dummies, putting down a layer of mulch in your garden will usually provide the following benefits:
Inhibits weed germination and growth. (Weeds are not only unsightly, but they also steal resources from desirable garden plants!)
Holds in soil moisture, protecting your plants from drying out quickly
Moderates soil-temperature fluctuations (This benefit is especially valuable during that turbulent-weather period in spring when you don’t want your plants to be stressed.)
In cold-winter areas, protects plant roots from winter cold and helps prevent frost-heaving, in which plants are literally pushed out of the ground by the natural expansion and contraction of the soil as it cools off and heats up
In hot-summer areas, helps keep plant roots cooler
Depending on what you use, adds a bit of welcome nutrition to your garden as it breaks down
So come on down and get yours today and make your plants and trees happy and save water in the process. We also have bluebird houses available to all Pine Cove Water District customers as well. Pick yours up today.
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