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Lawn sprinkler runoff in Oak Park, a town in Los Angeles County.

Additional comments from the photographer, Craig Dremann:

“Southern Californians still unaware of the drought; wildlife attracted to runoff. With a second year of drought, and the driest March, April and May on record, Gov. Schwarzenegger has still not declared a State of Drought Emergency, and instituted mandatory water rationing, or a moratorium on new water hookups. Without the declaration of a Drought Emergency or mandatory water rationing, Southern Californians seem to be completely unaware that a second year of drought exists. Photo shows the perennial stream created from lawn sprinkler runoff in Oak Park, a town in Los Angeles County, that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, drought or no drought. Last year, during the first year of drought, the runoff attracted a rattlesnake that was found on the front lawn [the arrow in the bottom photo indicates the approximate location of the rattlesnake]. Runoff from lawn sprinklers obviously wastes water during a drought, but as the drought dessicates the surrounding wildlands, wildlife is drawn to the runoff as a source of water. Last week, a coyote came into a park in broad daylight and tried to carry away a baby, in San Bernardino County [http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_webcoyote05.20f599a.html].”