Rain Catchers for Water Conservation
Welcome to Conservation Works Rain Catchers Water Conservation page. Here you will find pictures of our current and past Rain Catchers projects, how-to videos, and resource guides on saving water to help you make every drop count this drought year and beyond.
Protecting and Restoring our Watersheds
Water in California has been at the forefront of our history since statehood. It is a California truism that we do not have enough water to support continued population growth, thriving agriculture and forestry, wildlife needs, and robust fisheries without changing how we manage water use.
Conservation Works develops solutions for communities and the environment to support the health of watersheds, and the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change on the water cycle.
This 3,000 gallon tank was installed by Conservation Works and students at the Guerneville School in Sonoma County to help supply water for the school garden's greenhouse and orchard.
Conservation Works Water Conservation Activities
Rain Catchers Program
Our Rain Catchers program is designed to save winter runoff for summer use. Rooftop rainwater collection systems capture the water that is falling on impervious surfaces and direct the runoff into holding tanks or basins, small and large, for later use. These projects offset in-stream water use by increasing capacity of off-stream water storage.
In addition to our own community Rain Catchers projects, Conservation Works partners with RCDS on projects big and small. Some of the largest projects, developed and implemented by Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, involve watershed-scale rainwater harvesting systems at dairies and other facilities, drought actions to minimize water use at recreational camps, and more. In these large projects, Conservations Works serves as the fiscal sponsor for Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, while their technical expertise develops and deploys these land stewardship projects that benefit endangered salmonids and support sustainability.
Rain Catchers in Your Neighborhood
In the spring of 2023 Conservation Works started deploying our Rain Catchers program in partnership with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, Sonoma Resource Conservation District, and Mendocino Resource Conservation District, in schools, community gardens, senior centers, churches, and similar locations as well as rural residential locations within the watersheds of the Navarro River, Mark West Creek, Green Valley Creek, Mill Creek, and Dutch Bill Creek.
Incremental drought response projects like ours are integral to addressing a statewide problem of California having insufficient water resources to meet all of its needs, including in-stream flow for coho salmon and other anadromous fisheries in these watersheds. We are providing DIY Rain Catchers workshops at community locations and a limited number of free tanks for rural residential owners in the above watersheds. These rainwater capture systems are provided to our community members on a limited-time, first-come, first-served basis. This program is designed to reduce the barriers to installation by increasing the affordability of these systems and providing technical assistance for system design, installation, and troubleshooting. Stay tuned for opportunities to apply to receive a free tank!
Conservation Works Rain Catchers Projects