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Street-side water harvesting image gallery

Utilizing street runoff to grow and enhance life along the street…

Before water harvesting in 1994.
Public right-of-way in front of Lancaster property in Tucson, Arizona. Blue arrows denote runoff flow to street.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
After harvesting water in 2014.
Street runoff irrigates street trees via curb cuts and in-street water-harvesting chicane by yield sign.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Harvesting street runoff via the low point of a curb where there once was a driveway.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Harvesting street runoff via curb cuts made at the upslope side of “backwater” or “eddy” basins to maximize capacity and to keep mulch from flowing out of basins.
Pedestrian platform enables passengers from parallel parked cars to step onto level surface connected with foot path.
Illustration: Joe Marshall
Before planting rain and native food-bearing vegetation in public right-of-way adjoining Lancaster property in Tucson, Arizona, 1994.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
10 years after the planting of rain and native food-bearing plants in the public right-of-way. Tucson, Arizona 2006.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
4-inch (100-mm) diameter street curb core hole angled down to street-side basin and in direction of street gutter flow.
Notch drilled in gutter helps direct more flow through curb core in low-flow events. Curb cores typically cost less than curb cuts.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Planters and tree just after planting foothills palo verde tree in an infiltration basin in 2016 (curb core was made after photo was taken). Salvaged pieces of old sidewalk, or “urbanite” used to stabilize basin banks, Tucson, Arizona.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Same foothills palo verde tree in 2021— 5 years after planting.
It is now 8 feet (2.4 m) tall (see shovel for scale).
Passively harvested rain and street runoff has been its sole source of irrigation water the past 4 years.
Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood, Tucson, Arizona.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Curb core directing street runoff to street-side eddy basin, first year after planting. Tucson, Arizona.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Curb cuts along a residential street beside the People’s Co-op, Portland, Oregon.
Sidewalk strip beside curb allows for easy access of people entering and exiting cars parked along curb, while steel scupper directs runoff water to vegetated basin. Raised curb alerts pedestrians to edge of basin.
Blue arrows denote water flow.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Curb cuts along an arterial street beside the New Seasons Market direct runoff into adjoining mulched and vegetated basins. Portland, Oregon.
Blue arrows denote water flow.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Before the Street Edge Alternatives (SEA) Project in Seattle, Washington.
Photo courtesy of Seattle Public Utilities
Just after installation of Street Edge Alternatives project.
Note narrowed, meandering street, flush curb, and mulched and vegetated basins on either side of street, and sidewalk on only one side to reduce pavement.
Blue arrows denote water flow.
Photo courtesy of Seattle Public Utilities
Street Edge Alternatives street in 2005.
Healthy, rain-irrigated growth. Photo: Brad Lancaster
Street Edge Alternative Street in 2021.
Deep shade from growing tree canopy. Photo: Brad Lancaster
City of Tucson street-side water harvesting eddy basin in 2013 pre-planting.
Diagonal steel scupper directs street runoff under sidewalk to basin. St. Mary’s road just east of I-10, Tucson, Arizona.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
City of Tucson street-side water harvesting eddy basin harvesting street runoff in 2014 post-planting.
It is working, but in my opinion the basin it could be far more effective than it is. Basin should’ve been made deeper and wider (compare to previous image), and far less to no gravel should have been used.
The rock and gravel currently wastefully consumes HALF the volume of the basin, as the gravel is four courses deep (it should not be deeper than one course/one rock high/deep)
The goal is to harvest stormwater NOT purchased rock.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
City of Tucson street-side water harvesting eddy basin harvesting street runoff in 2021.
Compare to previous slide and note how more rock gravel has migrated into the basin and has further reduced water-holding capacity of the basin.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Close up of where I excavated rock gravel to see how deep it had been applied in City of Tucson street-side water harvesting eddy basin.
The gravel was 4 inches (100 mm) deep. That’s a 4-inch depth that could’ve held free stormwater instead of costly rock/gravel. As this gravel silts up over time it will make removing that sediment very difficult.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
City of Tucson small-space eddy basin with steel grate above basin, downtown Tucson, Arizona.
Desert willow tree. Small basin is better than no basin.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Steep-sloped road-side bioswale harvesting street runoff looking upstream.
Rock mulch rundowns are used to make vegetated step pools. Portland, Oregon.
Photo: Brad Lancaster
Steep-sloped road-side bioswale harvesting street runoff looking downstream.
Rock mulch rundowns are used to make vegetated step pools. Portland, Oregon.
Photo: Brad Lancaster

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Volume 2

Be sure to read chapter 8: Reducing Hardscape, Harvesting its Runoff, and Creating Permeable Paving

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Neighborhood Food ForestryPassive SystemsSoil and Fertility HarvestingStormwater & Street Runoff Harvesting
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