Discussion 7

1. Discussion 7: Sustainable
Water Management
Courtney Johnson

2. Water Management
Strategy 1: Swales
 Swales are used effectively throughout the California
Neighborhood Center. There is a swale that runs a good
perimeter of the property to an ephemeral pool in
between a lot of the planting areas. The swales catch
water that will then seep into the soil to be used by the
plants and spread more effectively to nearby roots as
well once the water is in the soil. In this Case Study, the
swales are not only fed by direct rain water that will
collect within them, but roof water is also plumbed into
the swale system. Swales are important because it allows
the water to be gravity fed where needed and as the
lecture video said, the cheapest place to store water is
within the soil.

3. Water Management
Strategy 2: Rain Water
Catchment Systems
 Rain water catchment systems are used in multiple ways
at the California Neighborhood Center. Water is caught
from the roof in a very effective manner. First a pipe fills
up to catch anything that might originally flow with the
water and acts as a filter. After the pipe is filled the water
then is caught and stored within a holding tank on the
side of the building. The rain water that is caught on the
roof is also plumbed into the swale system on the other
side of the building. Ponds and small pools work with
the swale system to also catch rain water so it is not
wasted and seeps into the Earth to be used by the
garden.

4. Water Management
Strategy 3: Ponds
 This permaculture site also features a pond as a
water management strategy. There is one main
pond (multiple smaller pools of water as well) at the
site that holds and collects water. There are also
waterfalls around this pond to keep the water from
becoming stagnant. These ponds catch and store the
water that is used not only to feed plants, but also to
stabilize the climate surrounding the pond through
heat transfer with the air on cooler days or at night.

5. Pattern 1: Contour
Planning
 The pattern of contour planning is used in Case Study
#2. This relates back to the permaculture principles of
catch and store energy, produce no waste, and obtain a
yield. The contour planning catch and stores energy by
allowing water to collect in the small ditches (swales)
and seep into the Earth. This is water that otherwise
would have been wasted and lost, so it is important to
harvest that in order to not waste any resources. Produce
no waste applies because the whole point is to extend the
benefit of the water instead of allowing it to run off and
become a wasted resource. By strategically placing plants
along the contours that work best for them, the
permaculture site is maximizing its yield by allowing
more plants to flourish.

6. Pattern 2: Roof Catchment
System
 Roof Catchment Systems in this Case Study again
produce no waste, use and value renewable
resources, and catch and store energy. By harvesting
the water in the first place, the caretakers are
catching and storing the energy of the water into a
tank so it can be used as needed and not wasted.
They are trying to minimize the waste of resources
by harvesting the water. By catching the water in
the tank and only using it as needed, the site is
showing a special value and use of renewable
resources by trying not to waste them and using the
water sparingly as the site calls for.

7. Pattern 3: Salvaged
Materials
 Salvaged Material use at the permaculture site is the
best example of produce no waste that I can think
of. A lot of things within the site, down to the pizza
oven, were made of reclaimed materials. These are
things that were considered one man’s waste and
probably would have been thrown away in some
form. The permaculture design reduced the waste
by simply using these materials in different ways
than their original purpose, which creates a strong
resonation with the permaculture principle of
produce no waste.