Wildlife Rainwater Collector

Part of the restoration work we've done on our property involves removing Ashe Junipers. We leave the cut junipers which provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. We're also interested in providing supplemental water for wildlife.

We have a wet-weather creek that runs along the south edge of our property. I previously posted about the creek flooding. It feeds two ponds which hold water for a while after a heavy rain, but eventually dry up. When the ponds have water, we frequently see cows and deer there, as well as birds.

One way to provide water for wildlife, without drilling a well or running plumbing over long distances, is to collect rainwater. We built this rainwater collector, modeled after one we saw at the Patsy Glenn Refuge in Wimberley. The Refuge is operated by the Wimberley Birding Society.



The collection surface is 8 ft. X 8 ft. of corrugated metal roof and the frame is built from treated 2X4s. A vinyl gutter and PVC pipes direct the water to a 550 gallon tank. The black plastic tank keeps light from reaching the water and prevents algae growth. An automatic pet-watering dish with a float valve provides the drinking water. There is no filtration, although there is a drain-like debris-catcher at the entrance to the downspout. This is definitely not potable water, but it's fine for wildlife.

An inch of water falling on a square foot of area results in 0.6 gallons of water. That translates into about 38 gallons of water per inch of rain for this one. The collector was operational for about 1.5 years and peaked at about 1/2 full or 275 gallons.

The collector is now dismantled and sitting in my driveway as I try to figure out a way to rebuild it. The problem is that the I didn't anchor the collecting surface. I wanted to be able to move it around the property and didn't want it permanently attached to the ground.

I knew that the shed roof is essentially a kite and a strong wind could tip it over, but I decided to try it anyway. It never blew over, but it did walk and creep when it was windy. It's not visible from our house, but I noticed it was moved whenever I went out to check it. I would reposition it and keep hoping for the best.

Eventually, during a heavy wind, it moved so much that the vinyl gutter was ripped away from the frame.

I plan to strengthen the frame with more cross-bracing and to add members along the bottom to provide points to weigh down the structure, perhaps with sandbags, or anchor it with rebar stakes.