As part of our water conservation program, we are considering making rain barrels available at our cost. We are trying to gage interest in a program such as this. If this is something that would interest you, please leave a comment here or give Vick or Becky a call at 951-659-2675 and tell us you would be interested. Or you could drop us an email at Vicki@pcwd.org or Becky@pcwd.org. Remember, this is not a commitment to purchase a rain barrel. We are just trying to find out if there is enough interest in a program such as this or not. We think they are an excellent value for the money and are very nice looking as well. You can see an example of the barrels
here.
So let us know what you think. If there is enough interest, we would be willing to be the middle man and make these available at our cost, which would be substantially less than the retail price.
Showing posts with label rain water harvesting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain water harvesting. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy 2012
Here we are in the new year! Can't help but wonder what the year has in store for us all here in Pine Cove this year. Many good things I hope.
Speaking of good things, the weather is currently one of them. It has been fabulous for this time of year. I am feeling like I don't want winter to return. The living is too easy when the weather is this good in late December and January. No shoveling, no freezing temps, low heat bills and cool evenings for perfect sleeping.
However, on the water side of things, this isn't the best scenario, so hopefully there are lots of winter storms to come so we get that snow pack that helps keep the water table up. It is so easy to get complacent about our water supply when there is a lot of it. While we are not in a conservation stage currently, it is very helpful if everyone continues their conservation efforts as if we were in one, because you just never know.
Drought is always looming on the horizon and we are never out of the woods, water wise. Simply put, the less we use the more we leave in the ground for future use. As we begin the new year, one of my goals here at the water district is to do more research and post more information about rain water harvesting.
While this sometimes seems like a daunting task and granted, it is difficult for some people to put a large water tank in their yard, saving rain water is a great way to acquire water for outdoor irrigation and certain indoor uses, such as washing cloths or flushing toilets. We won't delve into systems that provide potable water at this time. For now, I will focus on some basics and explore other things we can do in our yards to keep the moisture that does come, in our yards and not running down the street.
Rain water harvesting isn't only about sticking a barrel under your rain spouting. There are other things you can do in your garden and yard to help water stick around. By making the most of what we do get, we can decrease our need for irrigation and so we will be exploring those options as well.
Speaking of good things, the weather is currently one of them. It has been fabulous for this time of year. I am feeling like I don't want winter to return. The living is too easy when the weather is this good in late December and January. No shoveling, no freezing temps, low heat bills and cool evenings for perfect sleeping.
However, on the water side of things, this isn't the best scenario, so hopefully there are lots of winter storms to come so we get that snow pack that helps keep the water table up. It is so easy to get complacent about our water supply when there is a lot of it. While we are not in a conservation stage currently, it is very helpful if everyone continues their conservation efforts as if we were in one, because you just never know.
Drought is always looming on the horizon and we are never out of the woods, water wise. Simply put, the less we use the more we leave in the ground for future use. As we begin the new year, one of my goals here at the water district is to do more research and post more information about rain water harvesting.
While this sometimes seems like a daunting task and granted, it is difficult for some people to put a large water tank in their yard, saving rain water is a great way to acquire water for outdoor irrigation and certain indoor uses, such as washing cloths or flushing toilets. We won't delve into systems that provide potable water at this time. For now, I will focus on some basics and explore other things we can do in our yards to keep the moisture that does come, in our yards and not running down the street.
Rain water harvesting isn't only about sticking a barrel under your rain spouting. There are other things you can do in your garden and yard to help water stick around. By making the most of what we do get, we can decrease our need for irrigation and so we will be exploring those options as well.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sustainable Thursday
With the summer season upon us and in full swing, watering the garden or your trees and bushes becomes a frequent chore. During last weeks rain storm, I stood and watched where the water was going and I was shocked to see a good portion of it running right off my property and down the street. I have amended the soil in my garden beds and have been slowly trying to stop the water from leaving my property, however, it was clear that a lot of it was still running off. So the question is how can I stop that and retain that water in my garden?
Since my house sits way at the back of my property, the majority of my yard is in the front of my house and gently slopes toward the road, which encourages all the rain to run right off my property. So how could I keep more of the water on my property? Rain barrels? Sure, they are great, but once they are full, you are right back to square one with all the excess running off. So I decided to do a little research.
I found Brad Lancaster's website, books and videos. He lives in Arizona and is passionate about rainwater harvesting. Here is a little blurb about him from his website, www.harvestingrainwater.com.
Since 1993 I’ve run a successful permaculture consulting, design, and education business focused on integrated and sustainable approaches to landscape design, planning, and living. And as I live in the dryland environment, rainwater harvesting has long been one of my specialties and a passion. Through my business I’ve been able to share this passion and many of the fun innovations and daily adventures that come about from striving to live more sustainably and comfortably in the Sonoran Desert. At home my brother and I harvest over 100,000 gallons of rainwater a year on a 1/8-acre urban lot and adjoining right-of-way.
I found his website and the work he has done, to be fascinating and I ended up reading his website and watching several of his videos. I plan to read his books in the near future as well. He has a really good video about getting your soil to absorb water more like a sponge and retain it instead of letting it all run off. You can save a whole lot more water by having your land absorb water like a sponge, then by adding rain barrels. Here is a link to that video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wbyUz4IkjM It is well worth the 5 minutes it takes to watch it.
Since I am in the process of creating a garden in my front yard, now is the perfect time for me to start implementing some of these ideas and incorporating them into my garden landscaping. Imagine when it rained or snowed, if all or the majority of that moisture stayed right in your yard instead of running off down the street. By implementing some of Brad's ideas, I will not only create a better water situation for my new garden, but for the plants and trees that are all ready established there as well. So take a few a minutes to either watch his videos or read his website. I think it is really full of helpful rainwater harvesting and he has ideas we can all implement without going to the expense of adding huge rainwater collection tanks.
Since my house sits way at the back of my property, the majority of my yard is in the front of my house and gently slopes toward the road, which encourages all the rain to run right off my property. So how could I keep more of the water on my property? Rain barrels? Sure, they are great, but once they are full, you are right back to square one with all the excess running off. So I decided to do a little research.
I found Brad Lancaster's website, books and videos. He lives in Arizona and is passionate about rainwater harvesting. Here is a little blurb about him from his website, www.harvestingrainwater.com.
Since 1993 I’ve run a successful permaculture consulting, design, and education business focused on integrated and sustainable approaches to landscape design, planning, and living. And as I live in the dryland environment, rainwater harvesting has long been one of my specialties and a passion. Through my business I’ve been able to share this passion and many of the fun innovations and daily adventures that come about from striving to live more sustainably and comfortably in the Sonoran Desert. At home my brother and I harvest over 100,000 gallons of rainwater a year on a 1/8-acre urban lot and adjoining right-of-way.
I found his website and the work he has done, to be fascinating and I ended up reading his website and watching several of his videos. I plan to read his books in the near future as well. He has a really good video about getting your soil to absorb water more like a sponge and retain it instead of letting it all run off. You can save a whole lot more water by having your land absorb water like a sponge, then by adding rain barrels. Here is a link to that video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wbyUz4IkjM It is well worth the 5 minutes it takes to watch it.
Since I am in the process of creating a garden in my front yard, now is the perfect time for me to start implementing some of these ideas and incorporating them into my garden landscaping. Imagine when it rained or snowed, if all or the majority of that moisture stayed right in your yard instead of running off down the street. By implementing some of Brad's ideas, I will not only create a better water situation for my new garden, but for the plants and trees that are all ready established there as well. So take a few a minutes to either watch his videos or read his website. I think it is really full of helpful rainwater harvesting and he has ideas we can all implement without going to the expense of adding huge rainwater collection tanks.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday Musings
I am so happy to see some sunshine today! Do you ever notice how the weather affects your mood and energy levels? It seems that during the snowy, rainy & foggy weather, I don't function very well. My brain seems to be foggy and I have no desire or energy to do much of anything but lay around and drink hot tea. But once the sun comes out, it is like someone changed my batteries. I am re-energized and ready to tackle projects that I have let slide for months.
This week promises the arrival of spring like weather and I for one, am very happy about that. I know we need the snow, but I really am anxious to get back to outdoor activities. I hope by the end of this week, that I can see the ground in my garden again. I have lots to do out there and it is time to get started. Here at the water district, we will be working on some projects such as using ollas for conserving water when watering the garden, composting for soil improvement and water retention and rain water harvesting for making use of the moisture that falls from the sky. All of these things are key to conserving water while still enjoying the delightful benefits of a home garden.
Some of these projects will be done at my personal garden. Since I was planning to do them anyway, I am more than happy to report the results back here on the blog so that everyone can benefit from what learn. I am also looking forward to touring a local garden that uses rain water harvesting in their garden. Rain water is so much better for plants and between using that for the landscape and ollas for the veggie garden, I am hoping to reduce my outside water use drastically. Of course you can put rain water in your ollas as well.
It is my hope that by using a variety of gardening methods, I can show people how to use water wisely and efficiently, thereby enabling everyone to have a garden they can enjoy while doing what is right for the earth and conserving our precious water resources. It is easy to get lax about water use when we have had a wet winter, but just remember that we never know if we will receive abundant moisture or not during any given winter,so it is best to use as many water conserving techniques as possible, no matter what the moisture situation is like. Conserving today, provides for tomorrow!
So here is hoping for springs arrival and getting started on some of my garden projects!
This week promises the arrival of spring like weather and I for one, am very happy about that. I know we need the snow, but I really am anxious to get back to outdoor activities. I hope by the end of this week, that I can see the ground in my garden again. I have lots to do out there and it is time to get started. Here at the water district, we will be working on some projects such as using ollas for conserving water when watering the garden, composting for soil improvement and water retention and rain water harvesting for making use of the moisture that falls from the sky. All of these things are key to conserving water while still enjoying the delightful benefits of a home garden.
Some of these projects will be done at my personal garden. Since I was planning to do them anyway, I am more than happy to report the results back here on the blog so that everyone can benefit from what learn. I am also looking forward to touring a local garden that uses rain water harvesting in their garden. Rain water is so much better for plants and between using that for the landscape and ollas for the veggie garden, I am hoping to reduce my outside water use drastically. Of course you can put rain water in your ollas as well.
It is my hope that by using a variety of gardening methods, I can show people how to use water wisely and efficiently, thereby enabling everyone to have a garden they can enjoy while doing what is right for the earth and conserving our precious water resources. It is easy to get lax about water use when we have had a wet winter, but just remember that we never know if we will receive abundant moisture or not during any given winter,so it is best to use as many water conserving techniques as possible, no matter what the moisture situation is like. Conserving today, provides for tomorrow!
So here is hoping for springs arrival and getting started on some of my garden projects!
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