Harvesting the Rain

Tikkun Water Systems

Eighteen years ago, we broke ground on land with dry scrub and few trees, located above an agricultural valley where the water table is overextended by large scale farms, suburban development and industrial parks. The land has no water well, and no municipal water services. We began capturing every drop of rain that falls during the Monsoon season, June through October.

Over the years we have constructed 8 water storage cisterns and ponds, capable of holding 1.5 million liters of rainwater captured from our rooftops, driveways, and greenhouses.

Using the Permaculture style systems of dryland water capture, we slow rainwater as it moves cross the landscape, allowing it to penetrate the topsoil and prevent erosion.

The stored water and increasingly moist soils has transformed our land into a lush ecosystem.

Today our fish ponds are filled with edible tilapia and ornamental koi, visited by wild ducks, herons, and a variety of beneficial insects.

The nutrient rich pond water is used to irrigate our landscape, food gardens, and native tree production greenhouses.

What do Dryland Permaculture practices do?

  • Capture essential rainwater during monsoon storms

  • Slow rainwater run-off

  • Reduce or reverse soil erosion

  • Spread rainwater across the landscape

  • Penetrate water deeper into the soil

  • Retain water for the dry season

  • Allow for reforestation

  • Restore ecosystems and create lush habitat

  • Create water and food security for communities

  • Improve opportunities for livelihoods

Rainwater capture offers hope for the future in dry regions.

Ecological destruction and climate impacts are now driving a global water crisis that will lead to food insecurity, social conflict, and mass migration in the coming years.

As the 5 Most Epic Earth Healing Project video shows, dryland Permaculture systems can be rapidly implemented on a large scale in to radically transform semi arid and arid regions, bringing immediate improvement in human and ecological health.

We can transform drought and poverty to abundance.