Rainwater Harvesting: A Graceful Resolution for the Urban River
Contact: 
Van Clothier, Stream Dynamics, Inc.
streamdynamics@aznex.net
www.streamdynamics.us
(575) 388-5296
Dates: 
October 4–5, 2012
Location:
Silver City, New Mexico
Presenters: 
Van Clothier      Director of Stream Dynamics, Inc.
Catlow Shipek   Watershed Management Group
Denise Smith     Town of Silver City, Office of Sustainability
Allyson Siwik    Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP)
Tuition:
FREE to participants, thanks to a grant from the New Mexico Environment Department
This workshop is part of the 2012 New Mexico Watershed Forum, and is being financed by a grant from the New Mexico Environment Department, so tuition is free!
Rainwater harvesting converts nuisance storm water runoff into a beneficial resource—protecting urban streams from flooding and water pollution—and provides free irrigation for landscaping and food-producing plants. The large array of benefits from this practice will be presented in detail. Local and regional experts will demonstrate water harvesting principles and benefits with beautiful color slides of successful projects in Silver City, Santa Fe, and Tucson.
Tour: Participants will tour half a dozen successful water-harvesting projects in Silver City and learn first-hand about the theory and practice of urban water harvesting and how it benefits both people and the environment.  These projects, all within 2 miles of each other, range in age from 6 weeks to 6 years.  Each site on the tour will demonstrate a different method to harvest water.  We will discuss the design challenges at each site, how this was resolved, and how each project has performed in rain and snow.  The workshop is fast-paced, and will go back and forth from the classroom to the streets and backyards of this small town.
Hands-on project: Participants will actually build a water-harvesting project during the second day of the workshop. They will get first-hand experience in designing and building a project, and participate in every step in the process. Stream Dynamics will monitor the project site and send participants project updates with photographs of the project they built, showing how it performs with flowing water.
Participants: The workshop is open to city officials, engineers, architects, landscapers, students, and people who work in Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development in New Mexico and especially from Grant, Luna, Hidalgo, Catron, and Doña Ana counties.
Lunch: Morning coffee service and catered lunch will be provided free of charge to participants.
Classroom Materials: These books will be provided to participants:
Let the Water Do the Work, by Bill Zeedyk and Van Clothier
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, by Brad Lancaster
Create an Oasis with Greywater, by Art Ludwig
There will also be a 3-ring binder provided with additional reports, contacts and references, and a project site map.