Scheduled presentation at RiverLink http://www.riverlink.org/ February 20, 2009, 4 pmA year has passed since I updated this blog. My ideas have been forming while I was taking care of my family. I changed my business model from supporting other environmental firms to informing people about drought and motivating them to implement methods that retain moisture and recharge aquifers. I think we have minimized the role of plant transpiration in keeping the hydrologic cycle vigorous and that we have gone too far in using the ideas of moving storm water away. Probably not the first time (or last!) we have gotten into trouble thinking that if it is worth doing, it is worth overdoing. As storm water is moved rapidly away, much that would have sunk into the ground is no longer available to move through the roots and stems of plants to support photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, plants move moisture from soils and aquifers to the atmosphere, where it raises humidity and is available to condense and fall again as precipitation. With this process, the same water may travel up and down repeatedly in warm weather, maintaining moist soils and high water tables. Unless it is moved away.
I have become interested in traditional rainwater harvesting methods as a means for mitigating drought conditions and give a presentation to local groups to explain my ideas and summarize these and other methods. I am forming relationships with people already doing similar work and offering to train groups in the more basic techniques. I am really pleased with the response so far.
