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I've always wondered how sensible is it to dig temporary holes/ditches that will store excess amounts of water and then later fill it back up once we're done wi

by esturk 11y ago

I've always wondered how sensible is it to dig temporary holes/ditches that will store excess amounts of water and then later fill it back up once we're done with it. This is similar to how an empty swimming pool may be used to store excess rainfall. Perhaps the work put into it isn't worth the effort?

ketralnis 11y ago
Is this not what reservoirs are?
- guelo 11y ago
  Right. It is impractical to dig a ditch big enough to matter. That's why you damn up mountain canyons instead.
ipsum2 11y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_recharge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_recharge > Groundwater is recharged naturally by rain and snow melt and to a smaller extent by surface water (rivers and lakes).
- bashinator 11y ago
  This doesn't work when you've collapsed your aquifers through excess pumping. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groundwater-california-drought-aquifers-hidden-crisis/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groun...
mapt 11y ago
India's arid areas appear to have some experience with 'check dams' for precisely this purpose - turning monsoonal wet seasons into year-round wellwater. http://lawschool.unm.edu/nrj/volumes/48/3/03_agoramoorthy_indian.pdf http://lawschool.unm.edu/nrj/volumes/48/3/03_agoramoorthy_in... http://www.researchgate.net/publication/247773763_A_review_on_managed_aquifer_recharge_by_check_dams_A_case_study_near_Chennai_India http://www.researchgate.net/publication/247773763_A_review_o... http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/CABI_Publications/CA_CABI_Series/Ground_Water/protected/Giordano_1845931726-Chapter10.pdf http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/CABI_Publications/CA_... Digging ditches is much less cost-effective for this purpose than building small dams, though they seem to have also worked with those, ditches filled with rocks under a cover and used as a storage tank.
unoti 11y ago
I think that's what Stepwells are all about. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepwell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWbowNv5PI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWbowNv5PI <- This is a huge stepwell, to give you an idea of why these can be so amazing.
BenSS 11y ago
It's very worth it. I can't find the link now, but there was a great article about traditional wier/retention pond building in Africa that both provided water but also helped recharge the local wells. The system had fallen into disrepair, and one local evangelized rebuilding the structures. It really took the entire community to rebuild and maintain, but improved the quality of life massively.

by esturk 11y ago

ketralnis 11y ago

Is this not what reservoirs are?

guelo 11y ago
Right. It is impractical to dig a ditch big enough to matter. That's why you damn up mountain canyons instead.

ipsum2 11y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_recharge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_recharge > Groundwater is recharged naturally by rain and snow melt and to a smaller extent by surface water (rivers and lakes).

bashinator 11y ago
This doesn't work when you've collapsed your aquifers through excess pumping. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groundwater-california-drought-aquifers-hidden-crisis/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groun...

mapt 11y ago

India's arid areas appear to have some experience with 'check dams' for precisely this purpose - turning monsoonal wet seasons into year-round wellwater. http://lawschool.unm.edu/nrj/volumes/48/3/03_agoramoorthy_indian.pdf http://lawschool.unm.edu/nrj/volumes/48/3/03_agoramoorthy_in... http://www.researchgate.net/publication/247773763_A_review_on_managed_aquifer_recharge_by_check_dams_A_case_study_near_Chennai_India http://www.researchgate.net/publication/247773763_A_review_o... http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/CABI_Publications/CA_CABI_Series/Ground_Water/protected/Giordano_1845931726-Chapter10.pdf http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/CABI_Publications/CA_... Digging ditches is much less cost-effective for this purpose than building small dams, though they seem to have also worked with those, ditches filled with rocks under a cover and used as a storage tank.

unoti 11y ago

I think that's what Stepwells are all about. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepwell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWbowNv5PI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWbowNv5PI <- This is a huge stepwell, to give you an idea of why these can be so amazing.

BenSS 11y ago

It's very worth it. I can't find the link now, but there was a great article about traditional wier/retention pond building in Africa that both provided water but also helped recharge the local wells. The system had fallen into disrepair, and one local evangelized rebuilding the structures. It really took the entire community to rebuild and maintain, but improved the quality of life massively.