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Demonstration Sites

Water harvesting practices are simple, low-tech practices that conserve water, improve water quality, reduce flooding and erosion, and promote revegetation. Demonstration sites create publically visible models of water harvesting practices while training the public in their implementation.  All sites focus on capturing rainwater and greywater to irrigate landscapes with native and edible plants. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funded this program for its first two years; currently the program continues through money generated by new site partners.

Please see more about our Tucson, Arizona demonstration sites here:

 
 
 

Earthworks being constructed at Ward 1 Tucson City Council Office

Cistern being installed at Ward 1 Tucson City Council Office

 City of Tucson Ward I City Council Office - Fall 2008/Spring 2009
Focus: Reduce use of potable water for irrigation and increase native vegetation by capturing rainwater runoff on-site with earthworks and a cistern.
 
Features:
  • 5'x8' culvert style cistern (dry system)
  • berms and basins
  • native plants

Partners:

  • Sonoran Institute - Project partner and manager
  • Tucson Native Plant Society - project partner
  • Tucson Clean and Beautiful - plant and tree donations

 

City of Tucson Ward 3 Council Office water harvesting

Cistern and basins at Ward 3 Tucson City Council Office

  City of Tucson Ward III City Council Office - Summer/Fall 2007
Focus: reducing stormwater runoff through the use of a cistern and earthworks to redirect runoff and utilize on-site.
 
Features:
  • 5'x6' culvert style cistern (wet system)
  • earthworks - basins lined with rocks
  • removal of non-natives and replaced with native plants
  • removal of asphalt to create large basins

Partners:

  • Bureau of Reclamation - grant funding
  • Tucson Botanical Gardens - plants
  • Jessie Byrd, Landscape Architect
  • Southern Arizona Rain Gutters - discount on cistern materials and technical oversight

 
  City of Tucson Ward VI City Council Office - Fall 2008
Focus: reducing stormwater runoff by capturing roof runoff on-site. To shade and beautify property and right-of-way.
 
Features:
  • series of basins to capture rooftop runoff
  • curb cuts to capture street runoff (planned - not installed)
  • native plants

 
Greywater demonstration setup at Esperanza Esperanza en Escalante - Fall 2007/Spring 2008
Focus: residential greywater using a branched gravity-fed design to distibute among several basins that also capture rainwater runoff. Water harvesting system irrigates several fruit bearing trees and many native plants.
 
Features:
  • residential branched greywater design from laundry machine
  • earthworks - basins and berms to capture runoff
  • fruit bearing trees
  • native plants

Partners:

  • Bureau of Reclamation - grant funding
  • Trees for Tucson - tree and plant donations
  • Church youth group from Massachusetts

 

Volunteers at Greenlots demonstration site

Greenlots water harvesting implementation on Earth Day 2008

 Greenlots - Spring 2008
Partners: Ironwood Tree Experience
 
Focus: rediscovering nature in the city through utilizing the capture of rainwater runoff on an undeveloped urban lot to enhance native vegetation.
 
Features:
  • a network of berms, basins, and raised pathways to facilitate water distribution and allow pedestrain access
  • clustered rocks to promote native lizard species
  • native vegetation to promote urban wildlife

Partners:

  • Ironwood Tree Experience - project partner
  • Bureau of Reclamation - grant funding
  • Nighthawks Nursery - plants
  • Churchman's Sand and Gravel - 1 free load of rock
  • catering service for Earth Day event
  • Way Out West - Band at Earth Day event

 
Culvert cistern at Originate Natural Building Materials Showroom
Focus: mixture of earthwork practices to slow and retain water on site and cisterns to reduce stormwater runoff from property.
 
Features:
  • 5'x10' culvert style cistern (dry system)
  • recycled farm cistern ~8'x8' (back; installed by owner)
  • berms and basins with native vegetation (front and back of property)

Partners:

  • Bureau of Reclamation - grant funding
  • Tucson Clean and Beautiful - plants

 

Santa Cruz Farmer's Market, Tucson Community Food Bank - Fall 2009

Focus: berms and basins used to collect site runoff to increase native plant vegetation to beautify and reclaim site.

Features:

  • Earthworks to capture runoff
  • Landscaping with drought tolerant native plants

Partners:

  • City of Tucson El Rio Neighborhood Center - site and maintenance assistance
  • Tucson Clean and Beautiful - tree donation

 

TNC cistern with overflow

Curb cut along street site at TNC 

The Nature Conservancy - Spring 2007

Focus: mixture of residential and commercial practices to showcase a variety of water harvesting practices. Selected native plants attract pollinator insects and birds.
 
Features:
  • 4'x8' culvert style cistern (dry system)
  • 6'x18' culvert style cistern (installed by Technicians For Sustainability)
  • earthworks including berms and basins
  • curb cuts (installed by Brad Lancaster and TNC)
  • permeable paving (installed by TNC)

Partners:

  • Bureau of Reclamation - grant funding
  • Desert Survivors - plants

Alley way basins and vegetable gardens at TYLO residence

Culvert cistern at TYLO residence

 Tierra y Libertad (TYLO) Residence - Spring 2009
Focus: The TYLO residence is designed to engage local community residents in water harvesting techniques, permacultural aspects, and local food production.
 
Site Features:
  • 5'x6' culvert style cistern (dry system)
  • greywater distribution
  • vegetable gardens
  • urban chicken coop
  • native plants
  • right-of-way curb cut

Partners:

  • Arizona Community Foundation - grant funding
  • Tierra y Libertad (TYLO) - community partner

 

Toltecalli Academy cistern

Planting a tree within earthworks at Toltecalli Academy 

 Toltecalli Academy - Fall 2008
Focus: to engage high school students in rooftop and landscape rainwater harvesting to promote food production and native plants
 
Features:
  • 5'x10' culvert style cistern (dry system)
  • network of berms and basins to capture and direct water runoff
  • vegetable gardens
  • fruit trees
  • native plants

Partners:

  • Arizona Community Foundation - grant funding
  • Tierra y Libertad (TYLO) - community partner
 

Tucson Community Food Bank - Fall 2009

Focus: to showcase a large cistern sytem and earthworks to promote local food production in conjunction with the demonstration vegetable gardens.

Features:

  • 21'(h) x 12'(w) cistern (14,000gal)
  • large series of overflow basins with native and edible plants
  • food production gardens

Partners:

  • Central Arizona Project - major funding
  • Resurrection Lutheran Church - major funding
  • Community Development Block Grant - major funding
  • Southern Arizona Rain Gutters - cistern installation

 



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