Slow it, spread it, sink it

(Last Updated On: )

The recent rains have me thinking about the permaculture water mantra, “slow it. Spread it. Sink it.”

I’m in awe of the capacity of my gutters and our stormwater systems to whisk water away. Still, I fear we may be doing our community and environment a disservice with this approach.

By concentrating all water from our roofs and impermeable surfaces, then sending it downhill, we’re missing an opportunity to bank water in the ground for the long dry summer.

Brad Lancaster – “Planting the Rain”

The alternative approach is to “plant the rain.” By using simple technology like rain gardens, check dams, and swales (small earthen berms that prevent the rapid flow of water downhill) we get dramatically more rain stored in the ground. Beavers and beaver dam analogues can also be tremendously effective at slowing and spreading water.

Beaver Trust on reintroducing Beavers to Wales. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Cultivating a reserve of water beneath our feet leads to healthier, more robust plants and trees less stressed by arid summer heat.

Example of a “curb cut,” in West Linn, Oregon, which allows water to flow off the street and into the sidewalk median where it can soak into the ground.

This critical benefit of storing water in the ground cannot be overstated. Our trees and landscapes will be more resilient. In the event of the inevitable wildfires poised to lick the edges of our community — or worse; we’ll literally have a less flamable environment. We will have a cooler more comfortable environment as the trees and landscapes around us breathe.

Thinking out loud, what can we do to get more water into the ground in our community?

Nathan Corliss