1994 – Present
For nearly 40 years, OAEC’s 80-acre site of organic gardens, orchards, meadows, and forests has served as an ideal outdoor classroom to teach and model Conservation Hydrology and watershed health. Since 2004, OAEC’s WATER Institute has implemented an on-site Conservation Hydrology Adaptive Management Plan that demonstrates renewable energy technologies and best management and conservation practices for water, and for the energy associated with its use.
These practical solutions include greywater systems, micro-hydro generated electricity, roof water catchment systems, a rainwater harvesting off-stream pond that supplies 100% of our agricultural irrigation needs, a solar thermal hot water system, bio-filtration to improve water quality, and a 10-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. Installing and studying the efficacy of these techniques over time allows us to improve our designs and speak from experience when educating communities about how to best adapt these practices to their regions.
What is “Conservation Hydrology”?
