Like most of the great State of Texas, Grimes County is enjoying a break from a half-decade of drought. But even as they are breathing a sigh of relief, more than a few local land-owners are getting ready to tangle with the next round
So the Grimes County Ag-Extension Agency’s Ryan Powell is passing on one good way of monopolizing on our current wet-spell.
Powell says it’s a shame to see all that fresh water just run off into the river, especially when producers and property owners can easily store the rain with a set of gutters, pipes and tanks.
And Extension Water Resource Specialist Dotty Woodson tells Navasota News that a lot of folks have no idea just how much rain is available, just for the gathering.
“For every square foot of impervious surface (like a roof) one inch of rain can add up to 0.6 gallons of water,” says Woodson. And if you have a big roof, those numbers start to add up.
Then again, she adds, you could also dig a well or even make your own lake. But, these solutions come with their own problems: lake water evaporates in the heat, and wells are expensive to dig, and the water must be tested before it’s used.
But if you are wondering how to keep more water, rather than, say, pay someone to bring it to you, Woodson recommends you visit www.rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu, talk to the extension and find the solution that best fits your needs.