David E. Ross wrote:
....rainwater capture, swales, seeps, soaks, etc...
Where I live, the soils are so mineralized that any ground water
(including captured rain) is unfit for agricultural use, let alone
domestic use. We do have seeps and springs in the area. During a
drought about 30 years ago, however, a study determined that mixing only
one part of ground water with nine parts of California Water Project
water would yield something that would be illegally tainted.

that sounds rather extreme, but i'd assume
the native plants manage.

rainwater capture in barrels and lined ponds would
be another option for such an extreme case. water
right from the roof and other hard surfaces would
avoid most of the problem.


songbird