2003 Passive Rainwater Harvesting Landscape, Tucson, Arizona. Click on the photos to scroll through and compare before and after conditions.

Deborah installed this passive rainwater harvesting landscape in about 1999. The landscape won an award for “Best use of Water Harveting” in the Thong Chul Park and Arizona Department of Water Resources 2003 Xeriscape Contest. To view before and after images, click on the photos.

Photo taken in about 2003

Photo taken in about 1996

About 1996, looking south towards carport.

Photo about 2003, winding driveway with swales and french drain that drains to front yard swale.

Photo taken in about 1996.

Photo taken in about 2003. This is the largest swale. No rainwater has left the property since pre-construction, about 17 years.

Photo taken about 2003. Backyard sunken garden. I constructed a below grade garden to reduce city noise and to collect rainwater. It was a wonderful landscape for my daughter and her friends :)

Photo about 1990. Rainwater collection event. Standing water occurred once. Rained lightly for week, saturating ground then final downpour. Soaked in w/n 24 hrs. Plant roots now promote infiltration.

Photo taken in about 1999. Front yard small swale. The same storm that filled sunken garden, filled this swale as well. Again, only saw standing water in this swale this one time, in about 17 years.

2014 Passive Rainwater Harvesting Landscape, Phoenix, Arizona. Click on the photos to scroll through and see the process.

POST-BERMUDA GRASS, PRE-CONSTRUCTION, 4/26/2014

RE-CONTOURING THE LAND WITH A BACKHOE. GRAVEL WAS DELIVERED THE SAME DAY. 4/26/2014

TESTING CHANNELS AND SWALES WITH HOSE AND LAYING LANDSCAPE FABRIC. 4/27/2014

PERMEABLE LANDSCAPE FABRIC, ALLOWS WATER TO PASS THROUGH AND INHIBITS WEEDS. 4/27/2014

USED BACKHOE TO PLACE RIP-RAP (6-INCH) AND GRAVEL THROUGHOUT YARD. 4/27/2014

SETTING STONE ON SIDES OF SWALES. 5/8/2014

OVERFLOW CHANNEL BETWEEN SWALES. 5/8/2014

ROCK LINED SWALES. 5/8/2014

GRAVEL SPREAD, PLANTS IN THE GROUND. 5/11/2014

INSTALLED FLAGSTONE PATIO, DRAINS INTO SWALES. 5/26/2014

TEMPORARY PRIVACY FENCE AND PLANTS. 6/2/2014

PLANTS. 8/4/2014

PLANTS. 10/12/2015

Plants. March 12, 2016

I have only trimmed one tree to date. I will trim the yard a bit, but like to keep things natural :)

VIEW OF RAIN DEW DROPS FROM FLAGSTONE PATIO. 1/6/2016

2003 Passive Rainwater Harvesting Landscape, Tucson, Arizona. Click on the photos to scroll through and compare before and after conditions.

2014 Passive Rainwater Harvesting Landscape, Phoenix, Arizona. Click on the photos to scroll through and see the process.

Sonoran Desert Palo Verde hybrid- 5-gallon

6/2/2014

7/5/2014

8/4/2014