We’re ever hopeful that we’ll get some rain. Here in L.A., deep into this historic drought, that still remains a big hope! But each time the weather forecasts call for precipitation, I run around doing my routine … garden tools away, close the sheds, buckets and wheelbarrows inverted. Here are a few special ones …
We have 4 different types of rainwater harvesting demonstrated at the Community Garden at Holy Nativity in Los Angeles. You are welcome to come and see them, and copy them at home.
In usually-water-lean Southern California, most of us have directed rain gutter downspouts to run into our gardens, so that we can make the most of every drop. (drawing A) This is a great setup for most years, when we get a mere drizzle. But this year with Godzilla El Niño floods coming, we need to make some changes.
Looking for guidance on what to do to get ready for the Godzilla El Niño storms? If you missed our workshop last weekend, here are other places to get the info…
Seems like we’re getting the weather extremes this year. A summer of extreme drought, water rationing, and lawn removal. And winter forecasts are for record-breaking rains (but all that water isn’t here yet). How do we make the best of all these extremes?
One category of rainwater harvesting uses Mother Earth as your “storage device.” You design your landcape, including choices on surface materials and making decisions about the grading (land sculpting), with the goal of making water soak into the ground. Up until fairly recently, architects were trained to wisk stormwater away from properties as quickly as possible. Thus rain gutters and downspouts are directed into storm drains, and storm drains go (around here) out to the ocean. Sidewalks, driveways, and pathways were made…
I’ve written before about rain barrels. At the Community Garden at Holy Nativity, we have rain tanks. TreePeople has a massive cistern up on Mulholland. All of these devices — rain barrels, rain tanks, cisterns — are what are considered “capture & store” devices. Capture the rain, and store it for your own personal future use.
If the most current forecasts prove true, we in drought-wracked Southern California could be in for a very wet winter. Weather analysts are predicting a Godzilla El Niño, with once-in-a-generation levels of rainfall. Rainwater harvesting is the word of the day, and the time to be installing these features is NOW, before the rains come.
[see also “Are you prepared for el Niño?” I’ve been thinking about rain a lot lately, especially since we have 151 adobe bricks laid out right now, supposedly drying in the sun. We’ve had to do tarp-foraging, and monitor hourly weather forecasts, and get together a Tarping Team who can respond almost instantly, to give the bricks maximum sun, and minimum rain … but all that has simply added to my Rain Awareness. When rain is forecast, I have this routine:…
Honestly, we’re not forecast to get very much rain this season. So shouldn’t we make the most of every drop we get? There is no reason to waste any of it down the storm drains.Is your property set to soak up every bit of rainwater you get? Are your downspouts headed to collection barrels or to infiltration pits? Water running from your roof – does it percolate into soil, or is it wasted down hard concrete and asphalt?