Watershed Moment Spring 2007

Now is a fitting time to be thinking about water issues, in your own community and on a global scale. March 22nd is World Water Day, an international celebration started by the United Nations in 1992. The topic of World Water Day this year is "Coping with Water Scarcity," (visit www.worldwaterday.org). Often people believe water scarcity is just a problem in arid regions; however, even in the lush tropics of Costa Rica communities experience water scarcity due to deforestation and intensive agriculture. Water quickly becomes scarce when communities, industry, agriculture, and natural ecosystems all depend on the same source.

Instead of focusing on our environmental deficiencies, we can change our viewpoint to recognize our environmental assets. There are many resources which are available free to all such as: rainwater, sun, wind, organic waste, and for many homeowners, soil. Environmental education is essential in recognizing our environmental assets and properly managing our resources to create abundance. Learning simple water harvesting and gardening techniques and utilizing renewable energy can yield great improvements in our quality of life.

In the spirit of World Water Day, WMG brings you our spring quarterly newsletter to share project updates and other interest items related to water.

Looking back since our first newsletter this winter, WMG has already made substantial strides in furthering our goal to provide educational opportunities and materials to the community. In sharing project updates, we would like to acknowledge all the generous contributions of our donors and the many enthusiastic and hard-working volunteers involved with our projects.

	The Watershed Moment
Spring 2007	Watershed Management Group Newsletter
The mission of the Watershed Management Group is to improve rural and urban livelihoods by integrating community development and conservation. We provide local residents and community groups with the knowledge and skills necessary to sustainably manage their natural resources.
Dear Readers, Now is a fitting time to be thinking about water issues, in your own community and on a global scale. March 22nd is World Water Day, an international celebration started by the United Nations in 1992. The topic of World Water Day this year is "Coping with Water Scarcity," (visit www.worldwaterday.org). Often people believe water scarcity is just a problem in arid regions; however, even in the lush tropics of Costa Rica communities experience water scarcity due to deforestation and intensive agriculture. Water quickly becomes scarce when communities, industry, agriculture, and natural ecosystems all depend on the same source. Instead of focusing on our environmental deficiencies, we can change our viewpoint to recognize our environmental assets. There are many resources which are available free to all such as: rainwater, sun, wind, organic waste, and for many homeowners, soil. Environmental education is essential in recognizing our environmental assets and properly managing our resources to create abundance. Learning simple water harvesting and gardening techniques and utilizing renewable energy can yield great improvements in our quality of life. In the spirit of World Water Day, WMG brings you our spring quarterly newsletter to share project updates and other interest items related to water. Sincerely, Lisa Shipek Executive Director WMG News Looking back since our first newsletter this winter, WMG has already made substantial strides in furthering our goal to provide educational opportunities and materials to the community. In sharing project updates, we would like to acknowledge all the generous contributions of our donors and the many enthusiastic and hard-working volunteers involved with our projects. Greening Urban Watersheds Demonstration Sites: We are well into establishing our first two public demonstration sites on water harvesting and sustainable landscape design in Tucson, Arizona. Our first site is at Originate, a Natural Building Materials Showroom, located in the warehouse district. With the help of volunteers we have created berms and water harvesting basins and just finished the installation of a large cistern. We will start planting shade trees, a pollinator garden, and an edible plant basin in the following weeks. Our second demonstration site is at The Nature Conservancy offices. The Nature Conservancy is in the process of converting their whole office property into a water harvesting demonstration with diverse examples of water harvesting for homeowners and businesses. WMG is working on a portion of their project which will demonstrate water harvesting opportunities for residents. We have completed the first day of our cistern installation, and will be finishing up work on the cistern and creating water harvesting basins by mid April. On April 21st, WMG will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration at Originate to give tours of our water harvesting work and in addition we will be creating water harvesting basins and planting native shade trees along the public right of way. In other news, WMG was featured on a radio spot for 92.9FM The Mountain, on a program called Green Tuesdays. If you would like to hear the radio clip, please visit the homepage of our website. Water News Mention of climate change can be found almost daily in the news. Often we are left wondering how our own lives might be affected or what we can do to become part of the solution. Climate change also has many implications for watershed management and water availability. A recent Southwest Hydrology publication (Jan/Feb 2007) from SAHRA (Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas, www.sahra.arizona.edu) addresses how climate change will affect water resources in the Southwest United States. Climate research discussed in the Southwest Hydrology publication shows that temperatures are expected to increase in the Southwest, however predictions vary whether the Southwest will become wetter or drier. Despite the uncertainty of the amount of precipitation change, we can expect a greater variability in precipitation, resulting in a higher frequency of extreme events (droughts, high-intensity storms, flooding). In the article by Betsy Woodhouse in the Jan/Feb 2007 Southwest Hydrology publication, water managers were asked about the impacts of climate change on water management. One key point made is that because precipitation will become more variable, water storage will become even more important. This point is relevant for both large scale water management like in the Colorado River Basin and for micro-scale management like at the neighborhood scale or individual residence. Water harvesting can play an essential role in increasing small scale water storage capacity, which can serve as a buffer against climate variability. In summary, improved management of our shared resources becomes only more critical as we move into a period of unpredictability and greater variation. We can all take part to improve water and energy conservation at home, at work, and in our neighborhood. Resource Management 101 Question: What is erosion? Answer: Erosion is the process (action) of losing a substance. Typically when managing a watershed, erosion refers to the process of soil particles being detached from the soil surface and being removed from the site. The two dominant forces that cause erosion are water and wind. The rate of erosion is often described as the natural or human-caused erosion rates. The natural process of erosion is responsible for features such as the Grand Canyon. Often the influence of human activities increases the rate of erosion. Activities such as overgrazing, human traffic (vehicular, bike, pedestrian), construction, and others lead to increased erosion rates. Some of the results of erosion are downstream sedimentation, reduced air quality, transport of pollutants, and decrease in plant productivity. Sustainable Living Tip #2: Utilize greywater for landscape irrigation. Graywater is defined as water draining from a shower/bathtub, bathroom sink, and laundry machine. This water can be directed outside to landscape features such as basins and used to water any number of plants. Refrain from using graywater on plants with edible parts below ground or near the ground surface which may come in contact with the greywater. Using graywater to water fruit trees is a great option! In Arizona, the use of residential graywater for irrigation is allowed without notification if specific criteria are met. Arizona's definition of graywater does not include water draining from the toilet (blackwater) or the kitchen sink (also considered blackwater). Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has a brochure online that specifies the use of graywater for residential use (http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/permits/download/graybro.pdf). WMG Wish List 4 ft x 8 ft hauling trailer Ladder Garden tools (shovels, pick axes, hand trowels, etc.) Office space or storage space in central Tucson area Projector and projector screen Pickup Truck A big thanks to Robin and Bill Charles for their donation of an all-in-one photocopier, scanner, and printer and to Jo Thompson for her donation of garden tools. Thanks!* Thanks to the following individuals who have generously contributed to WMG since our last newsletter: River Basin Level: Donna Lines Flowing River Level: Kim Afinowich Noelle Fukushima & John McCutcheon Ed Thompson Silver Raindrop Level: Ken Laux Amy McCoy & Brian Anderson Dew Drop Level: Susan Willis Thanks to the many businesses and non-profits who have donated to WMG: Thanks to Trees for Tucson, USDA Plant Materials Center, and Tucson Botanical Gardens for their contributions of native plants to our water harvesting demonstration sites. Thanks to Trader Joes, The Food Conspiracy, Sunflower Market, Aqua Vita, and Wild Oats for their donation of food items for our water harvesting workshops. We would love to hear from you. Please submit your resource management questions, your own sustainable living tips, or any other general feedback to: lisa@watershedmg.org .
Support Watershed Management Group Today! Contribution Levels: Dewdrop: $15 Silver Raindrop: $50 Flowing River: $100 River Basin: $500 International Watershed: $1000 Make your tax deductible Online Donation Here
Watershed Management Group \| www.watershedmg.org \| P.O. Box 65953, Tucson, AZ 85728

We are well into establishing our first two public demonstration sites on water harvesting and sustainable landscape design in Tucson, Arizona. Our first site is at Originate, a Natural Building Materials Showroom, located in the warehouse district. With the help of volunteers we have created berms and water harvesting basins and just finished the installation of a large cistern. We will start planting shade trees, a pollinator garden, and an edible plant basin in the following weeks.

Our second demonstration site is at The Nature Conservancy offices. The Nature Conservancy is in the process of converting their whole office property into a water harvesting demonstration with diverse examples of water harvesting for homeowners and businesses. WMG is working on a portion of their project which will demonstrate water harvesting opportunities for residents. We have completed the first day of our cistern installation, and will be finishing up work on the cistern and creating water harvesting basins by mid April.

On April 21st, WMG will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration at Originate to give tours of our water harvesting work and in addition we will be creating water harvesting basins and planting native shade trees along the public right of way.

In other news, WMG was featured on a radio spot for 92.9FM The Mountain, on a program called Green Tuesdays. If you would like to hear the radio clip, please visit the homepage of our website.

Mention of climate change can be found almost daily in the news. Often we are left wondering how our own lives might be affected or what we can do to become part of the solution. Climate change also has many implications for watershed management and water availability.

A recent Southwest Hydrology publication (Jan/Feb 2007) from SAHRA (Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas, www.sahra.arizona.edu) addresses how climate change will affect water resources in the Southwest United States.

Climate research discussed in the Southwest Hydrology publication shows that temperatures are expected to increase in the Southwest, however predictions vary whether the Southwest will become wetter or drier. Despite the uncertainty of the amount of precipitation change, we can expect a greater variability in precipitation, resulting in a higher frequency of extreme events (droughts, high-intensity storms, flooding).

In the article by Betsy Woodhouse in the Jan/Feb 2007 Southwest Hydrology publication, water managers were asked about the impacts of climate change on water management. One key point made is that because precipitation will become more variable, water storage will become even more important. This point is relevant for both large scale water management like in the Colorado River Basin and for micro-scale management like at the neighborhood scale or individual residence. Water harvesting can play an essential role in increasing small scale water storage capacity, which can serve as a buffer against climate variability.

In summary, improved management of our shared resources becomes only more critical as we move into a period of unpredictability and greater variation. We can all take part to improve water and energy conservation at home, at work, and in our neighborhood.

Answer: Erosion is the process (action) of losing a substance. Typically when managing a watershed, erosion refers to the process of soil particles being detached from the soil surface and being removed from the site. The two dominant forces that cause erosion are water and wind. The rate of erosion is often described as the natural or human-caused erosion rates. The natural process of erosion is responsible for features such as the Grand Canyon.

Often the influence of human activities increases the rate of erosion. Activities such as overgrazing, human traffic (vehicular, bike, pedestrian), construction, and others lead to increased erosion rates.

Some of the results of erosion are downstream sedimentation, reduced air quality, transport of pollutants, and decrease in plant productivity.

Graywater is defined as water draining from a shower/bathtub, bathroom sink, and laundry machine. This water can be directed outside to landscape features such as basins and used to water any number of plants. Refrain from using graywater on plants with edible parts below ground or near the ground surface which may come in contact with the greywater. Using graywater to water fruit trees is a great option!

In Arizona, the use of residential graywater for irrigation is allowed without notification if specific criteria are met. Arizona's definition of graywater does not include water draining from the toilet (blackwater) or the kitchen sink (also considered blackwater). Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has a brochure online that specifies the use of graywater for residential use (http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/permits/download/graybro.pdf).

*A big thanks to Robin and Bill Charles for their donation of an all-in-one photocopier, scanner, and printer and to Jo Thompson for her donation of garden tools.

Thanks!

Thanks to the following individuals who have generously contributed to WMG since our last newsletter:

Kim Afinowich

Noelle Fukushima & John McCutcheon

Ed Thompson

Thanks to Trees for Tucson, USDA Plant Materials Center, and Tucson Botanical Gardens for their contributions of native plants to our water harvesting demonstration sites.

Thanks to Trader Joes, The Food Conspiracy, Sunflower Market, Aqua Vita, and Wild Oats for their donation of food items for our water harvesting workshops.

We would love to hear from you. Please submit your resource management questions, your own sustainable living tips, or any other general feedback to: lisa@watershedmg.org .