List of Illustrations

Tabled and Boxed Information

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Andy Lipkis

Preface

The Eight Principles of Successful Rainwater Harvesting

Water-Harvesting Ethics

Who This Book Is For

How to Use This Book and Volumes 1 and 3

Deciding How Best to Harvest Your Water

Introduction. Earthworks Defined, Their Advantages, and a Story of Success

What Is Rainwater Harvesting with Earthworks?

Earthworks — A Resurging Ancient Strategy

Earthworks Plant the Rain to Turn Water Scarcity Into Water Abundance

Earthworks Are the Foundation Strategy of Sustainable Landscapes

Additional Benefits of Earthworks

I Give Thee Thy Shovel

Real-Life Example

Water Scarcity Into Water Abundance

Chapter 1. Assessing Your Site, Choosing Your Earthworks, and Tips on Implementation

Part 1: Understanding Patterns of Water Flow and Reading Slope

Part 2: Summary of Water-Harvesting Earthworks

Part 3: Twenty-Six Water-Harvesting Earthwork Tips

Chapter 2. Berm ‘n Basins

What Is a Berm ‘n Basin?

Where Is a Berm ‘n Basin Used?

Tools and Materials

Steps to Build a Berm ‘n Basin

Variations of Berm ‘n Basins

Multiple Functions of Berm ‘n Basins

Real-Life Examples

The Grandmother Approach

Using Trees Killed by Fire

Harvesting Windswept Snow

Chapter 3. Terraces

What Is a Terrace?

Where Is a Terrace Used?

Tools and Materials

Implementation Steps to Build a Terrace

Multiple Functions of Terraces

Real-Life Examples

Terrace Building, Tarahumara Indians

Terraced Cistern Steps, Gardens

Chapter 4. French Drains

What Is a French Drain?

Where Is a French Drain Used?

Tools and Materials

Steps to Build a French Drain

Variations of a French Drain

Multiple Functions of French Drains

Real-Life Examples

Pumice Wick Turns Stormwater into Asset

French Drain Helps Eroding Driveway

Chapter 5. Infiltration Basins

What Is an Infiltration Basin?

Where Are Infiltration Basins Used?

Tools and Materials

Steps to Build Infiltration Basins

Variations of Infiltration Basins

Multiple Functions of Infiltrations Basins

Real-Life Examples

Turning Flood Control Structures into Beautiful Amenities

Planting Water in Pots

Abundance in a Community Garden

Rain Gardens — Infiltration Basins of Wetter Lands

Chapter 6. Imprinting

What Is Imprinting?

Where Is Imprinting Used?

Tools and Materials

Implementation Steps

Variations for Special Imprinters

Multiple Functions of Imprinting

Real-Life Examples of Imprinting

Restoring Bladed Land

Chapter 7. Mulching

What Is Mulching?

Where Is Mulching Used?

Tools and Materials

Implementation Steps

Variation of Mulching

Real-Life Examples

Ancient Hohokam Rock Mulching

Junk Mail as Productive Vertical Mulch

Mulching Thinned and Dead Trees on Contour

Mulching in Wet Lands

Concrete Drainageway into Cobble Infiltrationway

Chapter 8. Reducing Hardscape and Creating Permeable Paving

What Is the Reduction of Hardscape?

Where Is Hardscape Reduction Used?

Hardscape Removal, Tools, and Materials

What Is Permeable Paving?

Where Is Permeable Paving Used?

Permeable Paving Tools and Materials

Steps to Install Permeable Paving

Multiple Functions of Reducing Hardscape and Permeable Paving

Real-Life Examples

Driveway Gardens

A Multipurpose Alternative to Curb and Gutter Drainages

Green Streets and Green Parking Lots

Watering Streets Trees with Street Runoff

Chapter 9. Diversion Swales

What Is a Diversion Swale?

Where Is a Diversion Swale Used?

Tools and Materials

Implementation Steps to Build a Diversion Swale

Variation of a Diversion Swale

Multiple Functions of Diversion Swales

Real-Life Examples

Diversion Swales Irrigating Landscapes and Controlling Stormwater

Spreader Drain Turning Stormwater Liability into Asset

Chapter 10. Check Dams

What Is a Check Dam?

Where Is a Check Dam Used?

Tools and Materials

Implementation Steps to Build a Check Dam

Variations of Check Dams

Multiple Functions of Check Dams

Real-Life Examples

Gabions That Created a Spring

Check Dams Building Community

Where Rocks Have Made the Water Flow

Chapter 11. Vegetation

What Role Does Vegetation Play in Water Harvesting?

Where Is Vegetation Used?

Steps to Vegetate an Area

Tools and Materials for Planting

Multiple Functions of Vegetation

Real-Life Examples

Street-Tree Orchards

Native Living Christmas Trees

Planting an Urban Forest to Manage a City as an Ecosystem

Chapter 12. Greywater Harvesting: Making the Most of Your Recycled Water & Earthworks

What Is Greywater Harvesting?

Where Is Greywater Harvesting Used?

My Preferred Greywater Systems

Developing a Gravity-fed Greywater System

Variations

Real-Life Examples

An Outdoor Shower

Composting Toilets and Greywater Disposal Versus Septic Tanks and Sewers

Greywater Harvesting Helps Create Fire-Resistant Oasis

Backyard Greywater System Became a Neighborhood Laundromat

Pooling and Conserving Resources to Build Community

Epilogue

The Fun and Easy Path to Abundance

A Drop in the Bucket of Abundance

Start Now

Choosing to Be a Hero

Real-Life Examples

Turning a Flooding Backyard into a Neighborhood Oasis

Working Together to Create Public Water-Harvesting Demonstration Sites

A Community Helping Itself to Attain Water Sustainability

Working to Bring Back the River of Their Childhood

Appendix 1. Patterns of Water Flow & Erosion w/ Their Potential Water-Harvesting Response

Appendix 2. Bunyip Water Levels and A-frame Levels

Appendix 3. Water-Harvesting Earthworks Calculations

Appendix 4. Example Plant Lists and Water Requirement Calculations for Tucson, Arizona

Appendix 5. Sizing and Implementation of the Kitchen Resource Drain (KRD) in Arizona

Appendix 6. Resources

References

Glossary

Index