Tohono Chul Sin Aguas Garden passive water-harvesting demonstration
This is a water-harvesting demonstration garden within the larger Tohono Chul Gardens. Gravity distributes parking lot and roof runoff to an irrigation ditch with gates that control which vegetated basins receive the runoff.
![](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tc1-1024x675.jpg)
Photo: Brad Lancaster 8-22-2008.
The Sin Aguas Garden is planted within water-harvesting earthworks that capture stormwater runoff from a parking lot on the east end of the Park. This can provide all the needed water for appropriate dryland crops/plantings. But here, perhaps to maintain a lush appearance even in dry times and drought, plantings are also supplementary irrigated with a drip irrigation system hooked up to municipal water supply.
![](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tc2.jpg)
Photo: Brad Lancaster, 5-4-2008
![](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tc3.jpg)
Photo: Brad Lancaster 8-22-2008
![](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tc4.jpg)
Photo: Brad Lancaster
![](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tc5.jpg)
Photo: Brad Lancaster 8-22-2008.
The water-harvesting earthworks of the Tohono Chul Sin Aguas Garden was designed by Russ Buhrow, who in the 1980s farmed a productive 1-acre farm irrigated solely with passively harvested rainwater and stormwater from an apartment complex roof, parking lot, and city street.
For more information on the Sin Aguas Garden see:
Where:
7366 N Paseo Del Norte, Tucson, AZ 85704
32.33918586488728, -110.98094667308328
Hours: 8am – 5pm daily
Cost: Adult $15, children (age 5-12) $6 (under 5) free
This location is included in the following tours:
See the new, full-color, revised editions of Brad’s award-winning books
– available a deep discount, direct from Brad:
![Book Cover #1](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Volume-1-3rd-edition-front-exterior-cover-6419-reduced-for-web.jpg)
Volume 1
THE book to get you started. Shows you how to assess your free on-site waters, then create an integrated plan to harvest them.
Easy calculations provided to estimate the volume of your free on-site waters, plus a plant appendix with simple calculations to estimate the water needs of your plants, so you can set up systems whereby your plants can be irrigated solely by free on-site waters once established.
![Book Cover #2](https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cover-Volume-2-2nd-edition-exterior-front-reduced-for-web-800x1024.jpg)
Volume 2
This book gives you step-by-step instructions for multiple types of water-harvesting earthworks or rain gardens for a diverse array of different contexts.
Also has a chapter devoted to how to create gravity-fed greywater harvesting systems, and an appendix on how to harvest your dark greywater (kitchen sink drain water).