Any community that has regulations against water harvesting and storage needs to have a change in its officials! Rain falling on a rooftop should not be sent down the storm sewers. It should be put into the ground via garden irrigation.
It's going to be awesome to watch how that system progress's over time. 😃 It is said by Geoff Lawton that once the sytem is established (approx' 7 years), fresh water springs will appear downhill, now that would be epic to see - Loving your slow walk arounds so a longer video would be awesome - Thanks for sharing
UPDATE: This summer of 2022 we got good rains and the passive water-harvesting system at the Tumamoc Gardens worked wonderfully! As planned, all the basins filled multiple times. At least a 0.5-inch (13-mm) intense rain event (intense enough to generate runoff), is needed to get runoff flow to enter the Gardens from the old culvert upstream of the site. A 1-inch (25-mm) or greater rain event typically fills all the basins. Unfortunately the planting of the Garden with vegetation is on hold as Ben Wilder is no longer director of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill (Ben was spearheading the garden project). Some trees were planted just before Ben's departure, and after this video was shot, and they are doing very well. But we are awaiting the hiring of a new director to proceed with the rest of the garden design and plantings.
They need to be doing this in many other states as well, but Arizona has a great chance to lead the rest of the country. We definitely need more people like Brad.
You are the state. Onlycomme ting on some random youtube channel is gonna get you nowhere. Start in your street and keep going; talk to people, build things and get politicians involved or become one yourself.
I moved from Los Angeles to Tucson so that I can green the desert. My girlfriends dad has a three acre oasis full of... Palo Verde, Mesquite, Saguaro, Ocotillo, tons of creosote. My goal is to acquire 40 acres of land and do a permaculture thingy.
Congratulations, i'm Hugo Monteiro, water resources engineer at brazil and your structures are amazing! Very important and effective! Congratulations again.
I wish i saw this before we got these rainy days. This is motivating me to redig my garden beds and better their structure for better rain catching. Arizona needs more people like you 🙏🏻
You make me feel like i can acheive anything (like total rehydration of gnarly landscapes!!)... - amazing stuff Brad!!! Keep biologically pumping along mate!!
In the process of do this type of design, really hard to see if what I'm doing is right. Till now, thank you for your time and knowledge. Your practices are how lower income people can afford cheap land and put sweat equity into it to gain true wealth. Thanks again.
If you're interested in how to do this stuff, his 2 books are EXCELLENT. They are the best, most practical guides for dryland permaculture I've ever read.
This was really cool. I liked seeing the picture of the idea, and the real thing. It was like boom, made it happen. I can't wait to see it with plants and stuff!!
Looks like the house could use some rain water barrels, I know one thing at a time. Nice job. Flash flooding is a sign of landscape scale water mis-management, when there is more “soakage” there is less need for “drainage.”
This is amazing project Brad. Using native plants to restore this area is a definite show of your and others accumulated knowledge and wisdom. Thank you for continuing to inspire others in these projects.
Great video! I live in Italy where we are increasingly getting rain in the form of a 'water bomb' as they call it here. We have heavy clay soil so much runs off. I did my PDC, but water harvesting is really the area I am having the most trouble being able to envision, so I am saving up for your books!
Been loving your channel for a while now. Love your ideas. Here in the Netherlands we are increasingly getting more periodes of draught but. A good idea to adept my garden.
Awesome info as always! Just knocked out a 55 acre spread in Virgin UT using your methods again. The first rain this weekend was handled very well the land owner said…Now we wait for flood season to see how the rest does in the spring of 2023!
What I have been looking for. Well explained. Have a 1 acre blank canvas in Australia. Higher rainfall, but can experience severe drought cycles. A lot flatter though
You probably need to just take some dirt from the high points and put it in the low points, so the water zig zags across you land when draining, instead of going straight off. Increase life in soil and don't let the soil be exposed to the sun.
Love the presentation and techniques, these look like they could be used as water harvesting in any climate! Is that right? Could I use your books in the Caribbean?
Great video! More people need to see this. Thanks for making it. It was so helpful to see the contrast of the flow of the water against the drier sand around it. I hope you are making a video of the process of building this water harvesting system. Would love to see it from start to finish.
Great work and excellent video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge in a way that it is useful for others and not merely entertaining to watch. Of course, this is also quite entertaining. Bravo
I AM SO IMPRESSED with your engineering tricks... so beautiful to see this. working!!!! keep up the great work... so much i can learn from ya'll... much love and blessings!!!! buying your book.
Incredible Brad! I love your work and the collabs with Andrew Millison. My colleagues and I are working on a rather HUGE project would like to have a chat when/if you get the time :)
I wonder what would happen if you “overseeded” thousands of native seeds on that property? Native seeds that have a long soil storage. Mesquite, paloverde,iron wood etc. stored in the soil waiting for that perfect amount of rain to start. Every bare spot
I know this is an old video, but how often (or if) you prescribe your clients to harvest the silt out of catchments to increase capacity and to use the matter around plants? Thanks for the video!
I think you should plant some mesquite trees or perhaps desert moringa (Moringa peregrina - grows very well in Saudi desert and grow pretty big) this moringa is different species than moringa we commonly know. If you can find the seeds of this moringa so perhaps that would be good option as there are no spines like in mesquite. it will surely create a lot of shade to increase the diversity.
I like the diversity of accidentally having the planting terraces too high or too low. It gives different soil conditions that can be ideal for working with plants with different water tolerances.
Can u show the before and after results of having the water infiltrate? With water traditionally not seeping into the ground, i assume there should be a drastic amount of vegetation popping up.
Serious questions: Where did the water go previously that you are capturing now? What effects does retaining this water for your use have on the areas that no longer receive that water (i.e., downstream from you)? Does the water that you capture return to the local environment or evaporate and blow out of the natural drainage basin?
"Happy little accidents." -Bob Ross Hey, wait - are the downspouts directing water down to the basins or are they connected to a cistern somewhere? We may want to consider adding a fresh coat of paint and a re-roof to the budget while we're at it... =P
Brad Lancaster, you're a beautiful person.
Every city in the west SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS MAN AND IMPLEMENT EVERYTHING HE KNOWS !
Any community that has regulations against water harvesting and storage needs to have a change in its officials! Rain falling on a rooftop should not be sent down the storm sewers. It should be put into the ground via garden irrigation.
It's going to be awesome to watch how that system progress's over time. 😃 It is said by Geoff Lawton that once the sytem is established (approx' 7 years), fresh water springs will appear downhill, now that would be epic to see - Loving your slow walk arounds so a longer video would be awesome - Thanks for sharing
Brad, you deserve so much more attention. Please never stop, we will slowly get there..
UPDATE: This summer of 2022 we got good rains and the passive water-harvesting system at the Tumamoc Gardens worked wonderfully!
As planned, all the basins filled multiple times. At least a 0.5-inch (13-mm) intense rain event (intense enough to generate runoff), is needed to get runoff flow to enter the Gardens from the old culvert upstream of the site. A 1-inch (25-mm) or greater rain event typically fills all the basins.
Unfortunately the planting of the Garden with vegetation is on hold as Ben Wilder is no longer director of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill (Ben was spearheading the garden project). Some trees were planted just before Ben's departure, and after this video was shot, and they are doing very well. But we are awaiting the hiring of a new director to proceed with the rest of the garden design and plantings.
sorry to hear about that delay, do you have any updates
Create, observe, adjust, enjoy!
that's great that when the pipe broke all that water went to good use!
Must of been a big water line break.
Loking forward to the rainfall and seeing how the area transforms
I've implemented your teachings into my own yard and have seen a great difference.
Your work is very interesting from an ecological perspective. It is astounding at how poorly utilised water is in environments that need it most.
I only wish that the whole state of Arizona here will use this concept to fix our environment
They need to be doing this in many other states as well, but Arizona has a great chance to lead the rest of the country. We definitely need more people like Brad.
Australia could use a lot of this to
Sarah desert here needs this also.
You are the state. Onlycomme ting on some random youtube channel is gonna get you nowhere. Start in your street and keep going; talk to people, build things and get politicians involved or become one yourself.
I moved from Los Angeles to Tucson so that I can green the desert. My girlfriends dad has a three acre oasis full of... Palo Verde, Mesquite, Saguaro, Ocotillo, tons of creosote. My goal is to acquire 40 acres of land and do a permaculture thingy.
The birds really like your projects.
Well this is perfect visualization situation, thanks for rushing over there to show all of us !!
Congratulations, i'm Hugo Monteiro, water resources engineer at brazil and your structures are amazing! Very important and effective! Congratulations again.
I wish i saw this before we got these rainy days. This is motivating me to redig my garden beds and better their structure for better rain catching. Arizona needs more people like you 🙏🏻
Can't wait to see how it works during a rainstorm.
You make me feel like i can acheive anything (like total rehydration of gnarly landscapes!!)...
- amazing stuff Brad!!!
Keep biologically pumping along mate!!
Amazing stuff. Not enough views
Excellent job!! I'd like to see ALL of Tucson and Arizona to follow suite!!
In the process of do this type of design, really hard to see if what I'm doing is right. Till now, thank you for your time and knowledge. Your practices are how lower income people can afford cheap land and put sweat equity into it to gain true wealth. Thanks again.
If you're interested in how to do this stuff, his 2 books are EXCELLENT. They are the best, most practical guides for dryland permaculture I've ever read.
This was really cool. I liked seeing the picture of the idea, and the real thing. It was like boom, made it happen. I can't wait to see it with plants and stuff!!
Nice to hear the bird’s appreciation 👌
I had mosquitoes developing in a puddle on a chair on a balcony in cold old London town - nature finds a way, glad these will drain in time.
Looks like the house could use some rain water barrels, I know one thing at a time. Nice job. Flash flooding is a sign of landscape scale water mis-management, when there is more “soakage” there is less need for “drainage.”
Smart man!
Looking forward to seeing it with vegitation.
I hadn't heard the term 'piping' used with rock structures. Thanks for that!
This is amazing project Brad. Using native plants to restore this area is a definite show of your and others accumulated knowledge and wisdom. Thank you for continuing to inspire others in these projects.
Do we have an update from this area? Take care and cheers from Germany!
It’s nice to see this in practice.
I want updates yearly please. This is great and keep up the great work sir.
Great video! I live in Italy where we are increasingly getting rain in the form of a 'water bomb' as they call it here. We have heavy clay soil so much runs off. I did my PDC, but water harvesting is really the area I am having the most trouble being able to envision, so I am saving up for your books!
I can't wait for the video when you plant vegetation
Been loving your channel for a while now. Love your ideas. Here in the Netherlands we are increasingly getting more periodes of draught but. A good idea to adept my garden.
What luck to get a perfectly sized water break! Thanks for jumping on it and doing this excellent educational video. 😎
Been a fan for years. Cool video.
Should be awesome this monsoon.
Can you please do an update vlog on this project? I would love to see the progress.
Awesome info as always! Just knocked out a 55 acre spread in Virgin UT using your methods again. The first rain this weekend was handled very well the land owner said…Now we wait for flood season to see how the rest does in the spring of 2023!
Would love to see video of the journey. Let us known if you post any
Can’t wait to see this progress!
Amazing. Its great to go on a guided tour with you. I feel mentored!
Really nice. Hope we get to see the plantings progress.
LOVE your books. :)
What I have been looking for. Well explained. Have a 1 acre blank canvas in Australia. Higher rainfall, but can experience severe drought cycles. A lot flatter though
Good luck with your project
If you post videos of your project let us know
You probably need to just take some dirt from the high points and put it in the low points, so the water zig zags across you land when draining, instead of going straight off. Increase life in soil and don't let the soil be exposed to the sun.
Great work! Thank you Brad! 🙏😊❤️
This makes me so happy too.
Great job.
Great stuff! Cannot wait to see this 🤝🏻
Love the presentation and techniques, these look like they could be used as water harvesting in any climate! Is that right? Could I use your books in the Caribbean?
I would be interested in a video of each Swale system that you design, as well as updates 🧡
I need to take a nap. You have very relaxing voice..:-)
Fascinating and Essential work/play. Thank you!
this is one of the most exciting videos I've watched in a while! I love the work you've been doing. Thanks for sharing
Cant wait to see when plants are there!
Great video! More people need to see this. Thanks for making it. It was so helpful to see the contrast of the flow of the water against the drier sand around it. I hope you are making a video of the process of building this water harvesting system. Would love to see it from start to finish.
great video, everything makes so much sense. Thank you!
Very clear explanation of a very interesting project. Glad the algorithm suggested it! Looking forward to seeing how the area develops.
I think I was today years old when I figured out you have a TH-cam channel😂
Genius ideal to coherence the water into basins uphill before reaching the overflow, especially for lower down in the system 👌🍄🌳
Your sediment traps are probably also capturing "Flour Gold" you may want to consider panning that material every few years or so.
Great progress
Great work and excellent video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge in a way that it is useful for others and not merely entertaining to watch. Of course, this is also quite entertaining. Bravo
Loved this!
Love how you used this an an opportunity to improve your design even more!
I AM SO IMPRESSED with your engineering tricks... so beautiful to see this. working!!!! keep up the great work... so much i can learn from ya'll... much love and blessings!!!! buying your book.
Appreciate your effort Brad from India.
Thank you! So interesting to see the test in live 👍
Thank you for this.
Nice stone work. Would love to see an update on this garden!
Incredible Brad! I love your work and the collabs with Andrew Millison. My colleagues and I are working on a rather HUGE project would like to have a chat when/if you get the time :)
gr8 work
This is awesome, I've never seen swales so close together 💚 it's unique and well done, also the areas for plants, very nice.
Swales! Love it...
Well done.
I would a visit to your neighborhood in Dunbar-Springs in Tucson.
Thanks for your work.
I LOVE THIS!
what does it look like now? would be curiius to see it with the planting
Did you design the whole system's depth around the request for no mosquitoes?
Great project. Thank you!
Unfortunately I can't read the white letters against the background
I am up here in the phoenix area and I wish this was happening more here
Buying a lazer level to make sure your berm is high enough or your spillway is low enough might be a good idea.
would love to see how this garden looks now
Nice
I wonder what would happen if you “overseeded” thousands of native seeds on that property? Native seeds that have a long soil storage. Mesquite, paloverde,iron wood etc. stored in the soil waiting for that perfect amount of rain to start. Every bare spot
You could sow them during the dry season
very nice
I know this is an old video, but how often (or if) you prescribe your clients to harvest the silt out of catchments to increase capacity and to use the matter around plants? Thanks for the video!
I think you should plant some mesquite trees or perhaps desert moringa (Moringa peregrina - grows very well in Saudi desert and grow pretty big) this moringa is different species than moringa we commonly know. If you can find the seeds of this moringa so perhaps that would be good option as there are no spines like in mesquite. it will surely create a lot of shade to increase the diversity.
Great vid, need an update !
I will love your help I have 160 acres near Williams AZ and no water 😢
Love it! Nice work. Wish I could work with you on these projects
If in Tucson, volunteer with our Neighborhood Foresters projects
dunbarspringneighborhoodforesters.org/
I like the diversity of accidentally having the planting terraces too high or too low. It gives different soil conditions that can be ideal for working with plants with different water tolerances.
Can u show the before and after results of having the water infiltrate? With water traditionally not seeping into the ground, i assume there should be a drastic amount of vegetation popping up.
Hi, from Namibia. Thanks for the great video!! Which tool are you using to measure the elevation?
I need to order your books
You can get them at deep discount direct from me at link below:
www.harvestingrainwater.com/shop/
So the Swales are loosing a lot of water 💦 into the ground. The protection by vegetation must still be planted?
Serious questions: Where did the water go previously that you are capturing now? What effects does retaining this water for your use have on the areas that no longer receive that water (i.e., downstream from you)? Does the water that you capture return to the local environment or evaporate and blow out of the natural drainage basin?
"Happy little accidents." -Bob Ross
Hey, wait - are the downspouts directing water down to the basins or are they connected to a cistern somewhere?
We may want to consider adding a fresh coat of paint and a re-roof to the budget while we're at it... =P
How does the water go into the higher rock terraced areas?
Can we get an update on this sight??
any where to see how its holding this sistem 1 year later?
Is there a follow up video of this at Tumamoc Resilience Garden?