Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

This spring and summer we've had an unusual number of opportunities to use our umbrellas. We like our umbrellas because they are big broad surfaces that shed rain and keep us dry. Likewise, our homes and towns have been designed to keep us dry by diverting and channeling storm water away from our buildings and roads. So where does all this unwanted rain go? And if moisture is so scarce in arid New Mexico, wouldn't we really rather keep that "unwanted" water?

I have watched the flow of rainwater where I live and it something you might try too. After you watch it for a while, draw a map of where it comes from and where it goes. I live at the bottom of a short hill in my neighborhood. When it rains the water begins to accumulate at the top of the hill and then it gathers more and more speed as it rushes down the asphalt slope. A side street feeds into it and adds to its power. By the time it flows past my house it is a torrent. During big storms I have seen two-foot waves crest against my curb, jump the barrier, and turn my front yard into a lake. However, most of the time the rainwater travels a few more yards past my driveway where it swirls down a storm drain through a pipe and finally cascades into Pueblo Canyon.

Freshwater is an important natural resource. While 80% of the Earth's surface is covered in water, most of it is in the form of saltwater or locked up in the form of glaciers, icecaps, and soil humidity. It is estimated that only 3/10 of one percent of the water on our planet is available in the form of lakes, rivers, and streams. And we use this water to supply our cities, factories, and homes, while hopefully leaving some for wildlife. So you can think of water as something everyone has a demand for like a small slice of chocolate cake. Though there is not a lot of freshwater, most of us take it for granted and leave faucets running while brushing our teeth, run the dishwasher when it is half full, and lay out sprinklers that water more of the street than our gardens.

One thing we can do to cut our demand for water is to collect rain. It's free and good for lawns and gardens. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that on average 50-75% of an American's outdoor water use goes towards lawn care. Now what would happen if people used rainwater instead of water from our faucets? I think we would help save our precious water supply. It is pretty easy to collect the rain that falls on your roof by channeling it through a gutter into a rain barrel. Then when it is time to water your garden, you can use rainwater instead of tap water.

If we go back and think about our umbrella but reverse it, it will collect water instead of getting rid of it. You can try some umbrella experiments. Set your umbrella upside down next time it rains and let it collect water. When it stops raining scoop out the rainwater and use a measuring cup to see how much you collected. Then you can try different size umbrellas to represent big and small roof rain collection systems. If you want you can see how much is collected after different amounts of time in a rainstorm. You might have even more ideas to test. If you keep track of your data in a journal, you might find some interesting patterns. As always, tell your parents what you want to do and make sure that it is OK.

I hope that next time it rains you'll look out your window and imagine all the water that's running off your roof being put to beneficial uses in your garden!