permaculture

[Jason Gerhardt <jasongerhardt@gmail.com>]

Bob, I love what you wrote in the second paragraph below! Thanks for that!
I need to clarify a common misunderstanding in the first paragraph
though (only because I'm an excessively water harvesting Colorado
permaculturist;) Rainwater harvesting is NOT illegal in the entire
state of Colorado. Harvesting rainwater through infiltration style
earthworks is within the bounds of the law (this comprises the
majority of water harvesting methods I should note). Stopping the flow
of water through a cistern is illegal. However, there are even
exceptions to this. Those with wells and no access to municipal water
are able to apply for a permit to capture roof runoff in a cistern in
Colorado.
Don't get me wrong Colorado's water laws are screwed up, but not as
bad as rumor has it. Earthworks to each and all!
Cheers,
-- 
Jason Gerhardt
Designer and Educator


In the west of the United States, the more arid the area, the more
strict is regulation of water. Surface water in many areas is just like
land. It is not a common resource, in some areas people have privately
held water rights to it. Rainwater harvesting is illegal in the entire
state of Colorado, for example. I am not saying this is right, I am
saying that this is not something new, it's been this way ever since
white people took control and divided up the land into private ownership.

And this is a matter involving rainwater harvesting, it does not rise to
the level of criminalizing permaculture, which is a design system.
Rainwater harvesting is certainly one of the tools we use, but rainwater
harvesting is not a synonym for permaculture, istm. So the plans to
start memorizing the Design Manual, Intro to Permaculture, and our other
classics can be put on hold because the Oregon Firemen are not going to
show up to burn our books a la Farenheit 451.

Bob Waldrop, OKC