Rainwater Harvesting

Illustrated process of active & passive harvesting methods.

NPS

Harvesting rainwater can be used on whatever scale is appropriate/accessible for your space. Whether you live on a large property or small urban apartment, you can benefit from this practice while also engaging in sustainable lifestyle practices. Here in the desert, rainfall can be sporadic and rare, meaning we should take full advantage of this resource and use it efficiently and consciously.

Active Harvesting: Capturing and storing rainwater in tanks. Tanks of cisterns can also be used for other purposes in and around your home such as shade structures, plant support, or windbreaks.

• Gardens/Irrigation: Rainwater can be a perfect source of irrigation for gardens. Depending on the size of your property, you can install storage systems to make it a more reliable source during dry weather.

Passive Harvesting: Encouraging infiltration and retention of water through plants and soil. This system is self contained and, if done correctly, soil will act as a storage tank while plants, fungi, and other living organisms in the soil produce life.

• Rainwater Basins: These are good alternatives to tanks. They serve the purpose of collecting and re-routing water runoff in a different way. A lowered area in your yard, either natural or dug out, lined on the bottom with rocks and native plants, will help collect water and retain moisture. Rainwater basins can be large enough for a variety of plants, including trees, but can also be small enough for just one shrub, depending on your space.
• Bioswales: Similar to a basin, a bioswale is typically a longer and shallow strip of lowered area, containing plants to encourage water retention while re-directing runoff from roads and parking lots.

tw-rainwaterguide-final.pdf (tucsonaz.gov)

Passive Water Harvesting - Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond by Brad Lancaster

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Water way through the eastern section of Saguaro National Park.

NPS

Water and Wildlife

Riparian areas: Your yard could be a wildlife corridor or refuge in an urban environment. If you live along one of the main waterways in Tucson, you may notice wildlife moving through your area more frequently looking for water or food. Providing space for urban wildlife is a great way to participate in protecting the animals who make their homes in town.

Tucson’s urban waterways:

• Santa Cruz: Flowed year-round until the mid 1990s, urban development and groundwater pumping have reduced river to only flow during heavy rains
• Rillito River
• Sabino Creek
• Tanque Verde creek

Tucson Birthplace Open Space Coalition is made up of many local organizations and individuals dedicated to preserving the open space from the base of Sentinel Peak to the bank of the Santa Cruz River. Preserving and improving this area, sacred ground for the Tohono O’odham community, is a highly important project for the health of Tucson’s urban desert. For thousands of years, it was the heart of life and agriculture in Tucson. Now, it is home to a city dump and abandoned properties on infertile ground. For more information on the project and how you can help, visit their website: Tucson Birthplace Open Space Coalition - Tucson Birthplace Open Space Coalition