Drought Advice Wanted

where I want to · #1 01/23/14, 02:40 PM

With almost no rain and no prospects, it's looking like a very bad water year, the worst I've ever seen.
I have always been careful with water but I think I am going to have to up my game. Around here, if we do not get rain and lots of it in the next two months, it will be the dry season and no, zero, rain will come until next October or November.
Since so many out east have recent drought experience, could you give any useful techiques that you picked up on conservation in the garden and with watering animals especially?

Randy Rooster · #2 01/23/14, 03:23 PM

sorry about your drought - we have been going through one on and off for the past 7-8 years here. If you havent already switch over to drip irrigation - water only in the coolest part of the day ( morning) or at night if possible - take navy showers- water on to wet yourself - water off while you soap up and water on only to rinse off - you can get kits to install in your toilet to turn it into a very low water flush or one that uses more water -only do full loads of laundry.

Tango · #3 01/23/14, 03:26 PM

I hope it is not as dire as it is being reported and especially that there are no fires. I went through the drought of 2008 in Tennessee. It was the only time locals had ever seen our creek dry up. I learned to bathe with 1/2 gallon of water and let the garden go but my 3 draft horses and 5 dogs and 4 dairy cows plus calves and pigs needed water. I hired a backhoe to dig into the creek bed and tap into the water flowing underneath for the stock. It helped a little but also attracted a lot of thirsty wildlife. My neighbor had a deep well and let me haul 50 gallons a day from his pasture to mine. I am so utterly grateful to this day for his generosity.
What strikes me most of that time is how unprepared I was and how frustrating itwas. You think of drought and you think no rain clouds ever showed up but the truth is rain clouds showed up a lot - they just didn't release any rain over our area. It taught me to always prepare for this. This is the thing - to be prepared before it strikes. NorCal is going to have a tough time which will be shared with a lot of Western states. The rate of human population growth is not sustainable in a lot of the west.
Some tips: Rainwater catchment now so you can store whatever falls in the next two months.
Be frugal with water now.
If you plant this year use no till gardening to keep moisture in the soil. Stop tilling altogether and use forest litter to protect your plants.
Wear your home clothes til they almost start walking by themselves
Flush the toilet only when absolutely necessary for decency.
Best wishes.

COWS · #4 01/23/14, 03:38 PM

We did have several years of drought in the last several years, but nothing like you are experiencing. At least one big lake was down 13 feet. A small stream on my place quit flowing and that never happened in at least half a century. Another stream did flow so the cows had water. We are on a rural water system and we watered the garden from it. No chickens or pets and I didn't water the lawn. This is SC, BTW, so you see I'm not the best source of advice for you. I would give thought to catching rain water. That was done commonly when I was young and the water used for washing clothes, since we didn't have a pump in the well. A few times it was dry enough for the shallow well to go dry, and we would have to walk about 1/4 mile to a spring and hand carry water for drinking and bathing. The one time I went through Northern CA (from the coast to Redding to Susanville) I didn't see much that looked like springs. To conserve water in the garden I pile leaves or hay on it, which also reduces weeds.

I have no idea of the water table there and don't know how much water you can get from a well. Good luck, hope it rains soon.

COWS

shanzone2001 · #5 01/23/14, 03:47 PM

Great thread!

I am in Northern CA, too and one thing I am going to do is put a drip system in my garden. My neighbor uses one and uses much less water than I do because I hand water my garden every morning/evening.

I am also going to use a lot of mulch to retain the moisture in my garden.

MO_cows · #6 01/23/14, 03:50 PM

If you can, catch your gray water and use it again for watering the garden.

fishhead · #7 01/23/14, 03:50 PM

There was a thread on here 1-2 yrs ago by a couple from NM (I think) that showed how they built an extremely water efficient method of growing a garden.

They dug a hole, lined it with a waterproof pond liner, put a piece of PVC pipe vertically in the hole and then refilled it with soil. To water the plants they poured water into the pipe. They kept track of the water consumption and it was very low for the produce harvested.

We've been in drought for at least 5 years but the last 2 springs have been wet before the water stopped falling.

Fortunately I live on a lake so I just pump out of the lake for my garden.

ldc · #8 01/23/14, 05:15 PM

When I lived in Davis many years ago, people were building raised beds. These are NOT the answer during droughts, unless you can make such a moisture retaining soil...well, they didn't work in the valley. If you make a planting area lower than the surrounding soil, it may help...plus use an appropriate mulch for yr area. Davis went to 112 when I was there, and had historically hit 118F. Hope yr area isn't quite that hot! Best wishes 'cause this is a hard one.

geo in mi · #9 01/23/14, 05:16 PM

You might consider a dew or fog collector system. Basically it consists of a net or "fog fence" to allow the dew or fog mist to collect and then drop down by gravity into a holding system. http://www.newscientist.com/article/...l#.UuGgV8go5y0

geo

haypoint · #10 01/23/14, 05:45 PM

At th Horse Progress Days, they demonstrated equipment that unrolled a thin soaker hose and covered it with black plastic. There were discs ar the rear that covered the edges of the plastic with soil. They pulled it with a team, but a small tractor would pull it. then they pulled another piece of equipment over the plastic. It had a big steel wheel. The wheel had 6 inch cleats bolted on the cleats were about 4 inches square. Two people ride along, stuffing started plants into the holes the wheel made. There was a water tank that gave each plant a squirt of water. Moved right along. Then hook up the soaker hose that is under the plastic. No water carrying, no evaporation, no weeding, no chemicals. I think you could do 3 acres in a half day. But the point is that you wouldn't need as much water to grow your garden.

GrannyG · #11 01/23/14, 05:50 PM

We put a new metal roof on our house...then had a seamless gutter system installed....and the water is piped to 4 1500 gallon water tanks....we have 4 thousand gallons stored right now....love our roof top coffee....we will use it for watering our garden and trees this summer....we are also on city water, but wanted a back up system for our own peace of mind.....

myheaven · #12 01/23/14, 07:25 PM

I have used it and highly suggest mulch lots and lots of mulch. If you can watch videos look on YouTube for the Eden method. I say drip irrigation and use your gray water. Run it threw a bio sand filter and into the garden. Was only what is obviously dirty. Either it's covered in dirt or it smells. Otherwise rewear it. Hook the washer up to the bio sand filter too.
Make sure the animals have shade. Only give them water that they will drink in a day. I found that squirrels would try to drink then drowned in the stock tank. I would then have to dump the tank.

K.B. · #13 01/23/14, 09:22 PM

swales, hugelkultur, gray water, catchment system off the house roof, used metal-frame intex pools off CL.

wr · #14 01/23/14, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

With almost no rain and no prospects, it's looking like a very bad water year, the worst I've ever seen.
I have always been careful with water but I think I am going to have to up my game. Around here, if we do not get rain and lots of it in the next two months, it will be the dry season and no, zero, rain will come until next October or November.
Since so many out east have recent drought experience, could you give any useful techiques that you picked up on conservation in the garden and with watering animals especially?

We had a horrible drought several years ago but not much I can suggest would be helpful or useful in your situation because I have a black thumb but I do hope it breaks and you get some much needed moisture soon.

If you can find a reasonable method of transportation, we're looking for places to store snow this year. Last I heard we had more than double our annual snowfall in December and our historical big snow months are normally February and March.

fishhead · #15 01/24/14, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myheaven

I have used it and highly suggest mulch lots and lots of mulch. If you can watch videos look on YouTube for the Eden method. I say drip irrigation and use your gray water. Run it threw a bio sand filter and into the garden. Was only what is obviously dirty. Either it's covered in dirt or it smells. Otherwise rewear it. Hook the washer up to the bio sand filter too.
Make sure the animals have shade. Only give them water that they will drink in a day. I found that squirrels would try to drink then drowned in the stock tank. I would then have to dump the tank.

A block of wood floating in the tank will let them jump out or place some concrete blocks in the tank.

Covering most of the tank will help keep evaporation to a minimum.

geo in mi · #16 01/24/14, 09:20 AM

Squirrels can swim, I've seen one do it....

geo

ET1 SS · #17 01/24/14, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

With almost no rain and no prospects, it's looking like a very bad water year, the worst I've ever seen.
I have always been careful with water but I think I am going to have to up my game. Around here, if we do not get rain and lots of it in the next two months, it will be the dry season and no, zero, rain will come until next October or November.
Since so many out east have recent drought experience, could you give any useful techiques that you picked up on conservation in the garden and with watering animals especially?

I grew-up farming in San Joaquin Valley. My siblings remain there still. I operated a small goat dairy for a few years up in Lake County.

That was among the top priorities for when we were shopping for land to homestead. No drought for us.

My prayers are with you folks.

fishhead · #18 01/24/14, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

Squirrels can swim, I've seen one do it....

geo

So can bats. It's a really different stroke.

where I want to · #19 01/24/14, 10:02 AM

Actually the coastal redwoods, the dominant tree where I live, harvests fog to get though the summer. I have been thinkin about that in terns of a "self-water garden bed." I know a neighbor who put up a green house that collected water and it generated about six gallons of water every foggy day.
Of course the same circulation pattern that is keepng the rain away is also reducing the fog but my particular location is ptretty foggy even by local standards. Hmmm....... I might thave to do some junk yard shpping for an old sliding door to try.

where I want to · #20 01/24/14, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

Squirrels can swim, I've seen one do it....

geo

Yeah but they simply can't get over the edge if the water is low- they swim around until they drown.
Our squirrel have not so graced me but the stupid ravens sit on the edge of the tank to drink then turn around and poop in before they take off.