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Check out this report released in June 2011
Carlos Fresneda of El Mundo writes in Spanish about Brock "The Water Messenger" July 2011
Check out this new report on our ag roofwater system that uses the Wonder Gutter
WATER Institute contributes to Agricultural Water Stewardship Recommendations, June 2011
Roofwater Harvesting Work at OAEC
In the North Coast region of California (including all of Sonoma County) the majority of watersheds are listed as “impaired” by the US Environmental Protection Agency, primarily due to sedimentation, temperature and water quantity. Dutch Bill Creek is one of only two creeks in the entire Russian River Basin known to host a wild population of Coho salmon, yet to function as a natural production stream, and to ensure survival of Coho and Steelhead, it must maintain adequate in-stream flows.
As is typical in a Mediterranean climate like ours, the rainfall season in the North Coast region is shorter than the dry season, and low stream-flows in the dry months of summer and fall coincide with the months of highest human demand for agricultural, residential and commercial uses. Human demand for water in the Russian River watershed continues to increase as industrial development pressures rise, and forests, grasslands and dry-farmed apples are converted to vineyards (irrigated with groundwater) in the upland areas of its two major headwater streams. Additionally, Sonoma County services over 40,000 private wells – the most of any county in the state of California. The result of all of these pressures is that groundwater supplies are being seriously depleted and wells are drying up. Between June and October, landowners often buy water in 3,000-gallon truckloads and have it transported from miles away, requiring additional energy. In the era of “peak oil” and “peak water” we see a pressing community need for projects that demonstrate alternative water supply solutions.
One such solution is roofwater harvesting. Roofwater harvesting systems supply and store pure rainwater and require no electrical pumping. This well-established technology has been utilized worldwide, including Hawaii and the Southwest U.S., but has yet to be used widely in California. These systems can be designed to be technologically simple, easily replicable, and affordable over time, especially in areas where groundwater and municipal water is not available or scarce. In some cases, harvested water may be the only potential supply source during a dry season, unless water is purchased.
Harvesting rainfall simultaneously saves energy (less need to pump groundwater), and reduces run-off from impervious surfaces (i.e.: the roof upon which the rainwater falls, unless caught and stored, quickly becomes concentrated runoff). Roofwater systems can also enhance overall watershed health and assist in the recovery of endangered salmonids by reducing dry season demands on surface and subsurface groundwater that is so critical to their survival.
The WATER Institute has developed a comprehensive Conservation Hydrology Adaptive Management Plan for the OAEC site, with the goal of implementing and demonstrating small scale, practical renewable energy and fresh water management practices and technologies. By showcasing these projects in our many training programs, public presentations and site tours, we aim to help others increase the self-sufficiency of their homes, farms, land projects and larger communities – particularly those who live in the uplands of any watershed.
To learn more about the roofwater harvesting work we do at the WATER Institute dowload the following documents:
 | An 11-page WATER Institute how-to on this simple agricultural roofwater catchment design (2011). Free Download | ||||
 | Roofwater Harvesting for a Low Impact Water Supply A 27-page WATER Institute how-to on simple residential roofwater harvesting systems at OAEC (2008). Free Download | ||||
| A 23-page WATER Institute report on roofwater harvesting in California (2011). Free Download | ||||
| A booklet on roofwater supply for potable and non-potable uses (2010). Free Download | ||||
| | Roofwater Harvesting Policy and Resources A list of policy, incentives, resources and Bay Area contractors for roofwater harvesting parts and installation (2010). Free Download | ||||
| | | Saving From a Rainy Day: Liquid Assets, Conserving Is Key But Storing Water Is A Growing Green Trend By Janet Parmer. Printed in the Press Democrat on October 22, 2009. Article about rainwater harvesting at OAEC and beyond. Online article | |||
