Slow It. Spread It. Sink It! - A Homeowner's and Landowner's Guide to Beneficial Stormwater Management

Rainwater is an Important Natural Resource

Published by the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program (north of San Francisco, California), this guidebook is intended to help landowners and homeowners make the most of the many potential benefits of innovative stormwater management. Once thought of as a nuisance, rainwater/stormwater is now universally recognized as one our most important natural resources and proper management (simple to complex) is more important than ever. To download a copy from the Southern Sonoma County website, click here.

Guidebook Content: The guide is packed full of information, including:

• Understanding and evaluating rainwater/stormwater runoff around the home or property
• How to protect  property and increase its value
• "Do it yourself" techniques
• A wide assortment of sample rainwater/stormwater Best Management Practices
• Technical information and advice on rainwater harvesting and infiltration techniques
• Guidance on designing and implementing large-scale projects
• A broad sampling of local projects implemented in Sonoma County
• Safety and maintenance requirements
• An extensive resource guide to help readers quickly locate key information and get started

Traditional building and landscaping practices were designed to dispose of rainwater and stormwater as quickly as possible. This outdated paradigm typically results in significant damage to land, structures, and the surrounding environment. Slowing down, spreading and sinking stormwater can help protect  property and increase its value, provide a free source of water for irrigation, conserve drinking water, beautify your landscape, promote groundwater recharge and much more!