Water Harvesting Plant Lists

[Rick Spalenka]

I’ve attended Brad Lancaster’s rainwater harvesting talks.  The concepts seem intriguing but the implementation has concerns.  Brad’s experiences are Arizona experiences.  I’ve seen photos of some California bioswales that looked beautiful.  I’ve personally seen some Arizona bioswales and planted retention basins that looked, to put it diplomatically, less than beautiful.  What are your experiences and does anyone have a recommended plant list of plants that thrive in periodic flooded conditions.  I’m looking at a potential commercial project in Western Colorado where the engineer proposed a 22′ x 75′ x 3′ deep rip rapped retention pond as the only area to be “landscaped” from street curb to building, ie. the setback.  Here’s Lancaster’s web site: 

[Les Ballard]

Some folk have noticed that a really large body of water in arizona has had its level drop and not recover. Rainfall has reduced and a lot of people there are so worried they are investing in toilet tissue shares to get the stuff cheap but, if their worries pan out, they are going to have no water to flush it. Solutions are sought but there are only two and, while they are decided upon, folk are going to talk about using more of the water that does fall and some of those may be reactive “plants” by the government – in an attempt to allay fears – and with an occasional weed-head that seems to think it possible to live on the good air. Meanwhile, the water company seems to be real hot on reducing waste and leaks and with draconian penalties. The fact remains, however, that few people want to bath with a friend unless it is in a huge swimming pool and the whole place is getting drier.
The two solutions mentioned are to make water and hire a shaman. The latter is unlikely to be relied upon. The arabs run street lamps out into the desert to burn the electricity made from de-salinating power stations so that everyone can leave the tap running. (Always provided they have a tap.) Well, that is what Az, needs just for it’s market garden crops and cities. Reservoirs will have to be below ground rather like the cisterns created north of the Himalayas thousands of years ago. No-one is going to be able to afford to run new pipes and sewers to every cabin, farm, trailer park or whatever. So hello again to the shaman or other water diviner to point to where new artesian wells, Windmotor type electricity producers (we are calling them personal wind turbines this week) and possible composting duo toilets can be placed. Before long we should be able to buy this mix as a unit, it only needs some money for private enterprise to blossom. (Duo because you rest one and use one year on year and collect nice healthy fertilizer.) Even if you have a hot tub in the garden and a fresh water shower with grey water recycling a convenience nearby is, as they say, convenient and cheap. Indeed, a mixed unit could even be sited by the road as public facilities to include a mini automat and communications centre with wifi. Providing some fresh water for washing, even for truckers to shower and reusing grey water to wash the dust off the truck (adding any below ground stored rain water from the locality) is one thing (and you can charge a little). Putting in sewers is dearer by far.

Mixed units and new wells is one way state governments and local authorities can invest cash, serve the public and future proof the facilities they need to provide. It may sound a bit like Dune or something sci-fi but, they would be ensuring sound water supplies (allowing for further water table drops please) into the future. It may even help employment, in installation and maintenance staff, while providing somewhere to charge the mobile phone, laptop and so on so keeping the average modern joe or josephine on the road. Like emergency cabins elsewhere, save with cctv instead of 2 way radio maybe, they can also provide that kind of resort for the thirsty flat of tyre, weary of foot and so on.

Luv n Lite

Les Ballard

This lake is at Paimpont, Brittany, where Lancelot du Lac is supposed to have hailed from.

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