Showing results by author "Martha Retallick" in All Categories

In the midst of ongoing news about Southwestern water scarcity, Martha Retallick sees an opportunity. For 20 years, she has been transforming her central Tucson home into an urban oasis. The secret to her success: Water harvesting. Since Retallick purchased her central Tucson home in 2004, she has incorporated two types of water harvesting – passive and active – into her landscape. Passive water harvesting is simply the act of sculpting the landscape to direct the water to where it should be – like plants – and away from where it shouldn’t be – like a home’s foundation.

Water Harvesting 101 introduces you to Passive and Active Water Harvesting. Passive Water Harvesting is the act of sculpting your land with basins, berms, and drainage swales. The goal? To channel rainwater toward plants and away from structures – like your house. Passive water-harvesting earthworks eliminate the need for landscape irrigation connected to municipal water systems. In arid regions, that spells substantial cost savings.