Science Cafe – Harvesting the Sky—Rainwater, An Important Source of Water for Tucson
On Tuesday, Dr. James Riley, Associate Professor, Soil, Water & Environmental Science Department at the University of Arizona will present a short talk entitled, “Harvesting the Sky—Rainwater, An Important Source of Water for Tucson.”
Come and learn some simple and effective methods of conserving water right in your own backyard. Did you know that you could collect 600 gallons of water per inch of rain falling on 1,000 square feet of collection surface? Rainwater harvesting is a technology used for collecting and storing rainwater from rooftops, the land surface or rock catchments using simple methods such as buckets and barrels to more complex systems like cisterns. By using some tried-and-true techniques, as well as some of the emerging technologies in water harvesting, you’ll not only be conserving water for use around your home, but you’ll also be helping to improve your neighborhood and community at the same time. And at the next Science Café, Dr. James Riley will tell you that it’s not as difficult as you may think.
Having lived in Arizona most of his life, Dr. Riley’s interest in water harvesting came as a natural result of the need to conserve water in arid lands. And he knows something about arid lands. After receiving his Ph.D. in hydrology from the University of Arizona, Dr. Riley spent 18 years working on international agriculture projects in Sudan, Taiwan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Returning to Arizona, he utilized the skills and expertise he developed in Africa and Asia to help business and industry harness some of southern Arizona’s precious water resources. And as a UA professor, Dr. Riley works with students, faculty and staff at the UA, teaching water harvesting techniques and implementing water harvesting projects.
Dr. Riley will discuss how to plan, design, and build sustainable water-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, garden and neighborhood. He’ll help you examine your site resources (rainwater, soil, sun, vegetation, and more) and provide you with suggested strategies to maximize their potential. So whether you’re an avid gardener, environmentalist or just concerned with making our community a better place to live, you won’t want to miss listening and talking with Dr. Riley at the next Science Café.
Shipherd Reed will moderate the discussion. Reed, who promises to wrap things up by 7:30 p.m., will keep the discussion lively and on track. Following the program, audience members will have the opportunity to submit discussion topic ideas for subsequent Science Café events.
Suggested Reading
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond by Brad Lancaster
Websites
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/rainwater-harvesting-inforesources/water-harvesting-principles/
http://www.sustainability.arizona.edu/water.html
Cushing Street Bar & Restaurant
Cushing Street Bar & Restaurant is located on the corner of Cushing Street & Meyer Avenue in Downtown Tucson, across the street from the Convention Center. Complimentary, lighted, on-site parking is available on the east side of the restaurant.