Glossary
Active Rainwater Harvesting
Active rainwater harvesting is the act of capturing and storing rainwater for use at a later date. Rainwater can be used in many ways once it has been stored, i.e. for irrigation, fountains, ponds, animals, and domestic use for humans.
Arroyo
From the Spanish word translated as ‘brook’, an arroyo is a water-carved gully or channel. The main drainage network from an upper watershed in desert ecosystems, arroyos are typically dry with no running water unless there is significant snowmelt, or a large storm event in the area.
Berm
A mound of soil piled, shaped and compacted on the downhill side of a swale to prevent groundwater from spilling out of swale basin.
Blackwater
Blackwater is the water from kitchen sinks and toilets.
Boomerang Swale
A swale built in the shape of a boomerang with a berm on a downhill side. Considered by many sustainability experts the most efficient water harvesting structure as it collects water from a larger surface area uphill because of the open shape.
Branched drain greywater system
A gravity fed greywater system that moves water from one main drain line to "branched" drain lines. Designed for trouble-free, low-tech irrigation that can water multiple areas at once. There are no filters, storage tanks, pumps, or controllers to program.
Canale
A typical drainage structure for flat roof homes in the Southwest which helps to direct rainwater away from the house.
Cistern
A receptacle for holding water. Often cisterns are built to catch and store rainwater and can be installed above and below ground.
Downspout
A drainage device that is attached to gutters or canales. Usually made of metal or copper, downspouts can transport water to a beneficial location in the landscape and away from the foundation of the house.
Drip Irrigation System
A watering process in which water flows through tubing and is delivered to plants roots via emitters or sprayers. The rate of water flow is adjustable, minimizing water runoff and reducing the amount of water that is lost through evaporation. This type of irrigation system also provides a more consistent rate of moisture to individual plants.
Edible Landscaping
Landscaping that incorporates food bearing plants desirable to humans and/or pets including fruit and nut trees, berries, herbs, vegetables, fungi and vines.
Earthworks
In permaculture, earthworks are the strategic shaping of the land to capture, store, and manage water, which in turn enhances soil health, reduces erosion, and creates optimal growing conditions. Unlike traditional engineering that may just grade land, permaculture earthworks are designed to work with natural water flow to hydrate the landscape and make it more productive and resilient. Examples include creating swales, ponds, terraces, and berms.
Erosion Control
Effective erosion control techniques prevent soil loss and water pollution and can involve the creation of physical barriers, such as vegetation or rock, to absorb the erosive potential of wind or water. Although erosion is a natural process, the fragile soils in the high desert are very susceptible to major erosion. Erosion frequently goes unchecked in the southwest, and with minimal techniques to help sediment deposition, vegetation can be re-established. Vegetation is what we need to hold soil in place, bringing the land back to a healthier state.
Fish Scale Swales
Multiple boomerang swales installed on a slope in a "fish scale" pattern which form cascading basins for water harvesting.
Gabion
A wire basket filled with rock used for erosion control. Gabions help to control erosion by maintaining an uphill gradient where soil has been eroding.
Greywater / Graywater / Gray Water
Greywater is water that has been used in the house and comes from bathroom sinks, shower, baths and washing machines.
Groundwater
Groundwater is the water found underground in soil and rock fractures, making up a large portion of the Earth's freshwater supply. It is stored in and moves slowly through porous layers of soil and rock called aquifers
Gully
A small drainage area that usually leads to an arroyo.
Hardscaping
Hardscaping is the use of inanimate, non-living materials in landscaping to create permanent features like patios, walkways, retaining walls, and driveways. It is the opposite of softscaping, which involves living plants. Hardscaping provides structure, defines outdoor spaces, and enhances the functionality and aesthetics of a property, using materials such as stone, concrete, and wood.
Irrigation Systems
Irrigation is a key component to any landscape. Irrigation systems can be fed from municipal water sources, wells – or better – active and passive water catchment systems. Using rainwater as a primary irrigation source is a sustainable way to grow a healthy landscape and contributes to overall water conservation as it is balanced in pH, has beneficial microorganisms, is low in Total Dissolved Solids/TDS and salts, and is charged from electrical storms.
Low Impact Development (LID)
An approach to land development (or re-development) which treats storm water as a resource rather than a waste product. LID works with nature to manage storm water as close to its source as possible and employs principles, such as preserving and recreating natural landscape features to minimize effective imperviousness and create functional and appealing site drainage systems.
Net Zero Water
A strategy that aims to balance a facility's water consumption with the water it returns to the same watershed over a year, either through its own efforts or through its supply chain. This is achieved by minimizing water use, maximizing alternative water sources (like rainwater or treated wastewater), and optimizing water reuse. The goal is to be water-neutral by not depleting the water resources of a region in either quantity or quality.
One Rock/Check Dam
A simple earthwork consisting of a single layer of rock added to a drainage area designed to control the speed of water and sediment movement through it. ORDs are usually 4’ wide and can be installed on contour or simply in the low point of a drainage area.
Passive Water Harvesting
The application of earthworks like swales plus gravity to collect, slow, soak, store and use rain/storm water to irrigate landscapes and recharge the groundwater recharge
Passive irrigation These systems are low-cost, low-maintenance, and do not require external power.
Permaculture
Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture) is a term coined by ecologist Bill Mollison in the 1970’s. It is the integration of human society with a form of perennial agriculture that mimics the patterns of nature and ecological systems. Permaculture is a wholistic design framework that can help humans achieve a more sustainable future by working with and seeing ourselves as part of Nature.
Permaculture Design
A wholistic design approach which mimics the relationships found in natural ecologies and encourages self-sufficiency, co-habitation, and synergistic living with nature. Permaculture design can help create sustainable landscapes that build soil, grow food for people and wildlife, conserve water, moderate flood and drought conditions, minimize temperature fluctuations, create natural habitats, regulate pests and increase biodiversity.
Potable
Water of sufficiently high quality that it can be safely consumed or used domestically.
Pumice Wicks: Rainwater or Greywater System
Pumice wicks are underground water infiltration devices that serve to prevent erosion and passively irrigate landscapes by diverting water from impermeable surfaces such as rooftops and concrete patios into soil. It is comprised of a trench lined with geotextile fabric, filled with pumice, and has a perforated pipe running level throughout the trench. This level pipe allows the water (rain or grey) to move through the entire area of the trench equally. The pumice provides air space and keeps the area full of oxygen. The water can then be “wicked” out of the structure by the plant roots.
Rain Garden
A depressed area in a landscape that collects, absorbs, and filters graywater and stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces like roofs, driveways, and sidewalks. Unlike a pond or wetland, a properly functioning rain garden holds water for only a short period (typically 24–48 hours) after a storm, allowing it to slowly soak into the ground. A sunken bed greatly increases the amount of water a plant has access to.
Rainwater Harvesting
The gathering and accumulation of rainwater. Rainwater harvesting can be either active or passive. Passive water harvesting is where rainwater is stored on the site where it falls, and is infiltrated into the ground for landscapes and groundwater recharge. Active rainwater harvesting is where rainwater is stored for use at a later date. Rainwater can be used in many ways once it has been stored, i.e. for irrigation, fountains, ponds, animals, and domestic uses for humans.
Sustainable Landscapes
Landscapes that can grow and thrive without the constant intervention of human resources. Most take a good amount of time and resources to fully establish. Sustainable landscapes eventually provide a constant working relationship and ecological merging of the plants and organisms living within the landscape.
Swale
A permaculture earthwork comprised of a trench and berm that is installed on a landscape on or off contour designed to harvest runoff water from the land. The excavated soil from the trench is often used to form the berm on the downhill side but may be made of stone, sticks or logs, as well.
Terraces
Land forms built using a variety of materials such as rock, concrete, and wood that level the grade of a landscape, help control erosion and infiltrate water.
Wastewater
In water recycling terms, water typically thought of as wasted, i.e. sink water, bathwater, toilet water.
Water Recycling
Water recycling, or water reuse, is the process of treating wastewater from sources like sinks or industrial processes and purifying it for other beneficial purposes, such as irrigation, groundwater replenishment, and even drinking water. This process reduces the depletion of freshwater sources, which helps protect ecosystems and can lower costs associated with water management. Reuse of all three water sources are legal in New Mexico.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping utilizes water-conserving techniques, such as using drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation to create sustainable landscapes.
Zuni Bowl
An erosion control structure built from rock that stops erosion with the use of rock bowls, creating a space where water moving through a steep gully or arroyo can drop sediment and infiltrate the ground.