The only state where that became law like that is Colorado, and they have removed most of that restriction.
And here's the kicker: you're not going to harvest enough water in a barrel to water your yard. It's like an enduring folk myth that, "rainwater harvesting" means storing it in a barrel. While it helps, the best place to harvest rainwater for your yard is your yard. That means:
- Using variations of elevation and natural basins to sink the water in. Many design patterns for this. Brad Lancaster pioneered things like "curb cuts" in Tuscon, transforming his neighborhood. The city of Tuscon started using some of these methods on city projects.
- Encourage the growth of living soil, which will sink and store water within the land
- Which means, don't kill off the fungi and soil bacteria. Plants don't directly mine the minerals in the soil so much as exchange complex sugars with fungi and soil. Those fungi also form complex networks that connect plants together to distribute nutrients. When someone kills of the fungi and bacteria, and then tries to feed the plants directly with fertilizer, then then plants are not as resilient to drought
- Which means, it is better to grow something other than grass, or at least have other areas that are more biodiverse. A look through r/nolawns and you can have beautiful yards that are not necesssarily just a lawn
That video about these ponds is not about "claiming more than your share of the watershed to scerw those downstream". Percolation ponds are meant to slow down water and recharging ground water, and when taken together with a sound permaculture design, they end up providing more water downstream, particularly in times of drought, and heat conditions. Beavers used to do this all across the US, which is why they get a special mention in the video. (https://www.npr.org/2022/04/05/1090992348/beavers-can-teach-...)
Water history has two different historical standards:
1. First come, first served.
2. Don't screw the people downstream.
From what I gather, different places typically use one or the other standard.
In California, both tests are part of the law, which makes things complicated. A lot of water law in California was hashed out historically in Fresno County.
And here's the kicker: you're not going to harvest enough water in a barrel to water your yard. It's like an enduring folk myth that, "rainwater harvesting" means storing it in a barrel. While it helps, the best place to harvest rainwater for your yard is your yard. That means:
That video about these ponds is not about "claiming more than your share of the watershed to scerw those downstream". Percolation ponds are meant to slow down water and recharging ground water, and when taken together with a sound permaculture design, they end up providing more water downstream, particularly in times of drought, and heat conditions. Beavers used to do this all across the US, which is why they get a special mention in the video. (https://www.npr.org/2022/04/05/1090992348/beavers-can-teach-...)