Tucson, Ariz. (AP) – Nothing makes Blood Lancaster happier than a monsoon downpour.
The tall 58-year-old jumped like a child in a puddle on one sidewalk on an afternoon in August, particularly after a sudden rainfall in Tucson, Arizona, particularly during a dry summer.
“Sweet!” cried Lancaster as he saw how the water had accumulated in the basin where he had dug up how it was planted. Native Vegetation Along the public aisles.
“It’s really important that you’re ready to plant the rain when it comes, even if it’s a small amount,” he said. He said, referring to a simple type of rainwater harvesting that involves digging holes so that the rainwater sinks underground and holds it like a sponge. “The key is to collect all the drops.”
Southwest US And after thathome gardeners and landscapers use collected rainwater to nourish rose bushes and cactus gardens. The worsening of drought The rise in temperatures promoted by global warming.
Lancaster and other rainwater harvesting experts say that home gardeners can benefit from irrigating plants everywhere, even in wet areas where plants are less common, with raindrops, buildings and other surfaces.
Rainwater collection is widespread in many of the aridest parts of the world. It is often used in Australia for drinking water, bathing and flushing toilets. and In Africa – Lancaster said he learned more about this practice – it helps the community survive.
Save the rain It also helps in southern Arizona. Arizona is under pressure from a prolonged drought. Tucson is dryer than ever, receiving less than half of the roughly 7 inches (18 cm) of rain that is usually seen by the first week of September.
Some of the heaviest rainfall in Arizona and other parts of the Southwest US occur during the annual summer North American Monsoon season.
Adriana Zuniga, an associate professor of the University of Arizona’s Environmental Policy Program, says two-thirds of the residential water in desert cities is used outdoors.
“The idea is to irrigate using less water from the tap,” she said.
Rainwater harvesting is by no means a modern revolution.
Zuniga studied water use by Mayan people who currently live in Central America and the Southeast. Mexiconoting that ancient civilizations survived the hot, dry summers by capturing rainwater.
“It should be the basis of how we live southwest and will ultimately be anywhere else in the coming years in the face of climate change,” said Tucson landscape architect Elynielsen.
Want to create your own rain collection system? Here’s how to get started:
Educate yourself
Find out if your state has restrictions on rainwater harvesting or if you require permission for environmental or health and safety considerations. tool It will help Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to create it in collaboration with the Federal Energy Management Program.
Make sure your city or county water department has programs that encourage stormwater harvesting or other resources. Local community colleges or cooperative expansion offices have educational programs that provide guidance.
In Tucson, the city’s water department offers a rebate of up to $2,000 for its residential rain collection system. Working with local nonprofit organizations Basin Management Group To provide a free 2-hour class, residents must obtain to design a collection system that is qualifying for rebates.
It’s practically one of the classes that anyone can take part in. Essential rainwater courseis available free of charge on YouTube. It is co-hosted by Peter Coombes, professor emeritus at the Australian National University and managing director of an independent think tank Urban Water Circulation Solutions, and Michelle Avis, co-founder of Canadian organization Verge Permuculture.
Many advocates collecting precipitation say that the most prestigious book on the subject is Lancaster’s “Arid Lands and Subsequent Rainwater Harvest” and the second volume, which was later published. Lancaster also offers free resources to the public On his website.
Make a plan
Decide how ambitious you want to be.
Hsin-I Chang, an assistant professor of hydrology and atmospheric science at the University of Arizona, says few people like Lancaster are dedicated to collecting rain. She celebrates Lancaster’s popularity with her practice in Tucson.
Active harvesting systems use storage tanks, pipes and sometimes pumps. However, a simpler passive system is low-tech and works by shaping the landscape by drawing basins and other contours along with trees and other leaves. This allows rainwater to gather and sink underground to recharge the aquifer, feeding nearby thirsty plants.
“It’s very easy to start a contour,” Chan said.
Looking for more help?
If you need help, consider hiring a landscape gardener with experience in the harvesting system. You can also search for a master gardener at your local nursery or home improvement store.
And you can look to Lancaster for inspiration, slamming the joy he expresses with every rain.
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