… According to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, “landscape irrigation is estimated to account for about 50 percent of annual residential water consumption statewide.” In other words, half of California’s water use is tied up in plants that do not naturally occur here. Santa Barbara has a solution. Since 2009, the city’s Sustainable Lawn Replacement Rebate has encouraged residents to swap grass for drought-tolerant landscaping. More than 1,600 customers have participated. This spring, the city expanded the program to include a new incentive: rain gardens.