Roll out the (Rain) Barrels

A few weeks ago, I wrote a couple of columns about flood protection, government-style.

The first addressed the Army Corps of Engineers' finding that the 2008 flood was a fluke that doesn't warrant building a levee system. The second prodded state lawmakers to seriously consider watershed management and land-use measures that could make flooding less likely in the future.

In both cases, we're talking about big, ambitious and expensive macro approaches to the threat of flooding. A lot of moving parts must work together to get things going on both fronts. It could take a while.

With all that big government in play, it might seem like there's not much an individual can do.

That's where Rich Patterson comes in.

Patterson directs the Indian Creek Nature Center. And soon, the center will be offering half-price rain barrels with hopes that local residents will keep some runoff from running away.

Sure, one 65-gallon barrel may not seem like much. But Patterson hopes at least 1,000 people will want one. Pretty soon, he contends, we can stop 1 million gallons of water from reaching waterways. One barrel at a time.

“This is a hands-on thing everybody can do,” Patterson said. “It helps.”

The black plastic barrels will carry a $100 price tag, or about half of the standard retail price. Details are still being worked out, so it's too soon to order. But it won't be long.

Patterson and the Indian Creek board hope to have new barrels catching water sometime between Earth Day in April and the second anniversary of the flood in June. “Every gallon counts.” is the mantra.

So why barrels? For one thing, they're a handy tool for teaching us to think about how runoff affects flooding.

Every time it rains an inch, roughly 600 gallons of water runs into our downspouts for every 1,000 square feet of roof surface. A lot of that water washes down to the street, into the storm sewer and eventually into a creek or river.

Ideally, rain would soak into the soil. But in a world covered with concrete, asphalt and structures, too much runoff surges across the surface. And it's a significant factor that feeds flooding.

Stopping 65 gallons from each downpour is good. Stopping 65,000 gallons is better. “The impact of 1,000 or 10,000 is significant,” Patterson said. And the water collected in a barrel can be used for plants and gardens. Bonus.

It's good, small step in getting people to change the way they think about water. And maybe small lessons can help us avoid another big lesson, like the one we had in 2008.

Comments (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com