Catching RAIN

Originally Posted: July 17, 2010

Please check out these relevant topics also:

Overcoming DROUGHT with the Plant ROOT Injector at http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Injector.htm (March 24, 2011)

Mitigating DROUGHT at http://www.biofuelswork.com/DROUGHT/Drought.htm (May 1, 2011)

Harvesting RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Harvesting.htm (June 18, 2011)

Storing RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Storing.htm (July 2, 2011)

Rain replenishes reservoirs, parched lands and watersheds with precious water for drinking, irrigation, power generation and various other important purposes.

Population growth, industry and development increased the demand for freshwater exponentially while supply continues to be finite and in most cases decreasing.

Efforts to capture and store rainwater are major initiatives everywhere in the world by concerned governments, non-government organizations and various entities.

Individual or small-scale efforts to capture rainwater, however, are unpopular, limited and largely taken for granted.

This photo essay helps address our water crisis and proposes inexpensive and practical “Do-it-yourself” solutions. Collectively, they can become valuable, dependable and speedy solutions to assist prevent worsening conditions and catastrophes.

“Never-before-seen” flooding in Rosales, Pangasinan and Laguna Bay, Laguna

The careless and unplanned sudden release of water in the San Roque Dam caused flash floods in areas that have never anticipated such floods to possibly occur.

Water levels in Laguna Bay rose by over ten (10) feet and submerged all lakeside communities comprising a population in the millions for a period lasting about three (3) months.

Flash floods in Marikina reach unprecedented levels and cause many deaths and widespread destruction.

Before and after photos of devastation caused raging rainwater

The upper photo, taken before Typhoon Santi struck in 2009, shows 45 full-grown coconut trees in the horizon.

The lower photo, taken after Typhoon Santi, shows 36 missing trees & over 0.5 hectares of eroded riverfront land.

The well-built Balanac Dam in Magdalena, Laguna was overcome by raging rainwaters of Typhoon Santi. They crested and damaged its fortifications.

Tree planting, deforestation, kaingin-control, dams and reservoirs

Without a doubt, tree planting, deforestation and kaingin-control are excellent rainwater catching projects. Like the building of dams and reservoirs, however, they are not ideal individual and/or small-scale projects.

In addition, besides being expensive, many years have to pass before dams can be built and trees grow before they can serve their purpose.

Keeping trash (specially plastic bags and those contained in them) from getting into waterways is highly recommended. They are the bane of flash floods in the esteros of Metro Manila and almost everywhere else. The efforts of merchants in Paete, Laguna to stop using plastic bags and residents of Liliw, Laguna to keep their streets clean of trash (even cigarette butts and candy wrappers) are commendable and should be emulated by others as these efforts will minimize and control flash floods. They also complement efforts like recycling and environmental protection.

Streams, creeks, canals and ponds

The water in this stream, if it had not been impounded by the small dam shown, would have simply flowed downhill and become useless to anyone.

These dams (including a larger one upstream and a third downstream) were built as the 2009 Rain sSason was ending. They helped provide water for vegetable farms resulting in bigger harvests and increased profits.

Man-made dams like these are easy to build and become immediately useful. However, they would not have been built without the author’s encouragement and persistence.

Although, they must be promoted, building these dams should be done carefully and intelligently. Not doing so can produce more harm than good.

We recommend these dams be built:

· Towards the end of every rainy season;

· Without strong fortifications (i.e: They must be easily overcome by heavy water flows.); and,

· With the supervision of trained technicians.

Mountain well-springs (bucals & sibols) and the “TIBIG” tree

As most rainwater now simply run-off or flow-over land surfaces instead of being slowed-down by vegetation that would cause absorption into the ground, many mountain well-springs (bucals or sibols) have also dried up.

The “TIBIG” tree is an indigenous plant known to grow in the immediate vicinity of mountain well-springs (bucals or sibols.) We believe TIBIG trees indicate either the presence of water in the ground or an ability of the ground in the area to store water with the aid of the trees (possibly by storing water like a sponge in their root systems.) Unfortunately, as these trees do not produce edible fruits and they do not have any economic value, most are cut down and there are no efforts to protect them. In areas where they used to be prolific, sometimes a few or none-at-all survive resulting in dried-up well-springs (bucals or sibuls) that used-to exist nearby. Unless they are protected, studied and propagated as proposed here they face possible extinction.

We think mountain well-springs (bucals or sibols) can be restored by replanting “TIBIG” trees and by:

· Planting vegetation and trees in the vicinity of the “tibig” tree to create a watershed and

· Putting-up man-made dams and holding ponds that allow water to be absorbed and stored in the ground.

The “tibig” tree is easily recognized by its large leaves and fruits that grow from its trunks.

Rain catchment & water holding ponds

By having these ponds, rainwater that simply flows-over or passes-by would be trapped, absorbed and kept from making floods worse – in less time that it would take trees to grow and/or for huge dams to be built.

This is not to say, these ideas are better than or should displace the latter, but they are a practical, easy-to-build and inexpensive that should be promoted sooner than later.

Pointers:

· Build the ponds to saturate the ground, help it absorb more water to replenish the water table (aquifer.)

· Provide shade (tree canopy and/or netting) to prevent direct sun exposure and minimize evaporation.

· Use ponds as fishponds. (Provide a drainage system to let clean water in and old water out.)

· Build in clay soils preferably where depressions or pooling of waters exist. Not in sandy and fast-draining soils.

The above pit was dug in Magdalena, Laguna before typhoon Santi in 2009. Despite being filled with rainwater by the typhoon and succeeding rains. It showed only small traces of absorbed water when dug again 30 days later showing that ground was VERY THIRSTY for water. Imagine how this scenario is occurring everywhere else and a severe problem becomes apparent.

The above pit was enlarged and deepened into a water holding pond before the rains of 2010. It should repeatedly fill-up and allow contents to be absorbed into the surrounding soils. A second holding pond was also built nearby for the same purpose.

When the rainy season ends in 2010 and after the ponds dry up, the pond bottoms and surrounding locations will be dug-up in 15 day intervals to assess water absorption, retention and availability for plant use. Favorable results are anticipated and these will be reported later in this website.

Rainwater should be ENJOYED. Not feared.

Rainwater provides water for drinking, irrigation, electricity and relaxation. It should NOT drown and devastate.

This river with cool rushing waters from Mt. Banahaw is crystal clear. It is only a 2.5 hr drive from Manila and a short 15 minute trek. With our efforts, we hope we can help keep it that way.

Conclusion

Capturing rain, allowing it to be absorbed into the ground, storing it there and preventing it from rushing down to lowlands will help minimize flooding. More importantly, it will help provide water in elevated areas where said water can be scarce during the dry season.

Please check out these relevant topics also:

Overcoming DROUGHT with the Plant ROOT Injector at http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Injector.htm (March 24, 2011)

Mitigating DROUGHT at http://www.biofuelswork.com/DROUGHT/Drought.htm (May 1, 2011)

Harvesting RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Harvesting.htm (June 18, 2011)

Storing RAIN at http://www.biofuelswork.com/RAIN/Storing.htm (July 2, 2011)

Plant ROOT Injector Tests at http://www.biofuelswork.com/INJECTOR/Tests.htm (July 2, 2011)

Or visit our homepage at http://www.biofuelswork.com for other interesting topics. Thank you.