Water Harvesting 101

In the second episode in a two-part series, the focus is on rainwater harvesting cisterns. You’ll learn how rain falling from the sky ends up in a cistern, what happens when a cistern overflows, and methods for getting water out of your cistern and onto your plants. Note: This is the final episode of the audio-only podcast. Future episodes will be on YouTube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/@waterharvesting101

In this episode, we’ll be looking at rainwater harvesting earthworks. These are human-built features that blend into your landscape, and they facilitate the absorption of rainwater into the earth. Give this one a listen and learn what swales, basins, and berms can do for you.

Does your greywater system seem a bit sluggish? Is it failing to water the plants the way it used to? If you’re experiencing this problem, it’s time to do a little troubleshooting. This episode explains how to troubleshoot your system, and safety tips are included.

We water harvesters don’t just follow the weather, we’re obsessed with it. We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of those above average rains that we were promised, but many of us have been disappointed by the spotty monsoon rainfall. This episode explains what’s going on, and shines a light on when we can expect El Niño.

Now that we’re halfway through summer, let’s talk about lessons learned. What’s the biggest lesson from summer? It comes directly to you from my front and backyard. And here it is: Live Within Your Means. This episode explains how this concept relates to water harvesting.

This episode is about garden plants – and giving them enough water during the hot summer months. The unfortunate victim in this story: the larger of my two pomegranate trees. I didn’t give it enough water – and most of its fruit cracked. How can the remaining pomegranates be saved? I’m bringing them through the rest of the summer by using a combination of municipally-supplied tap water and harvested water. 

It’s monsoon season and that rain is really coming down! How do we capture all of this free water and store it for later use, as we do in Water Harvesting Activity #2? The centerpiece of a rainwater harvesting system is a cistern. I’ve had a cistern at my place for six years. Let’s learn how cisterns work.

At last! The monsoon rainstorms are here! Perfect time for a closer look at Water Harvesting Activity #1, redirecting rainwater away from where you don’t want it to where you do. Monsoon season provides a great opportunity for building – and testing – your water harvesting earthworks. These consist of swales, basins, and berms.

Although rain is forecast for later this week, we also have to get through some record-high temperatures. Perfect time to talk about shade, and how it can help cool our properties. There’s natural shade, which means trees and shrubs, and its cooling effects drive local planting initiatives in Tucson and other cities. Then there’s shade that we humans bring in. I keep my garden shaded with shade cloths from US Netting. They reduce the harmful effects of thestrongest midday sun rays.

It’s early summer, which means that it’s crunch time in Tucson. The crunch comes from the sound of fallen mesquite and ironwood tree pods underfoot. They’re all over town–and maybe in your yard as well. What can we do with these pods? I’ll give you the details in this episode.