Climate Change Adaptation
Keeping the water on the land
What can you do?
This doesn't mean just "you". It takes teamwork. It takes working together and sharing ideas; spreading the word. It takes involving people with power and influence. It takes innovation and new ways to see and do things. It takes all or any one of the above.
Keeping the water on the land is nothing more than recognizing the sponge like capacity for water storage found in Wetlands and Groundwater tables.
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Urban areas, including residential areas have a high percentage of land in hard and / or compact surfaces. Two of the most common are pavement and concrete.
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These types of surfaces take (smaller volumes of) water away too quickly when you want it or need it ( advancing Drought); and they take (larger voulumes of) water away too quickly when you don't want it (a developing Flood).
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More pervious (natural) surfaces will allow water to infiltrate into the ground.
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During Drought, the water table will be higher with pervious surfaces.
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During Flood (in advance of the flood); pervious surfaces will remove stress on storm water drains and sewers and reduce the rapid accumulation of water in lower lying creek and stream channels.
Review the property, neighbourhood and watershed scale links to the left; for illustrated examples.