Water is life!

Photo by Mike Kotsch on Unsplash

Water is life! It is the foundation that every living creature needs to survive.

In states like California, where the norm has become flooding in the winter and droughts in the summer, where underwater aquifers are taxed to the point that the ground is subsiding below the farmland that produces the foods we buy in the stores, passive and active rainwater harvesting could make a huge difference. As residents of the PNW, we are fortunate to have a history of plentiful sources of water, healthy snow packs mature into flowing rivers, which understandably puts rainwater harvesting low on folks’ list of priorities. But with climate change comes winters with less snow and rivers and soils without the seasonal recharge they require. This means that things can quickly change here as we’ve seen with the increasing number and severity of forest fires all across the West Coast.

With the incoming El Niño comes the possibility of a significant drought here at home in Washington State, which means… the time for implementing water harvesting systems is now! How can we each take responsibility for using water to its highest potential? Ideally, we can slow it down and store it in the soil that is mulched to prevent evaporation. Alternatively, store roof runoff in a tank for use during the drier months of summer?

The point here is to make these adjustments now, to support the earth around us in ways that help it support us into the future.