Landscaping in downtown Riverbank suffers, along with shrubbery and yards throughout the city, as individuals, companies and local agencies struggle to meet the goals established by Governor Brown in his recent conservation order.

Before the four-year drought took hold, landscaping around town, especially in areas like the redeveloped downtown and the fairly new Crossroads neighborhoods, were beginning to look like the artist’s renderings that were included in their initial plans for construction. Recent figures released by the state indicate that overall conservation improved to nearly 29 percent in May, the best result since the Water Resources Control Board began keeping reduction statistics last year. The recent numbers are compared to the same period in 2014.

According to the report, Riverbank saw a 16 percent reduction in water use. The governor’s edict set a 32 percent target to reduce consumption.