T.he Arizona Trail Association We recently installed a 1,500 gallon remote rainwater harvester in the drylands of a 1,500 gallon trail. passage 15 in Pinal County. Completed on April 6, this collector’s installation is a welcome addition, bringing much-needed peace of mind to hikers on this 28.1-mile dry trail.

The second collector installed along the AZT, this unit is located north of the Freeman Road trailhead on ancestral Odum and West Apache land. It consists of a 420-square-foot steel apron that collects and stores rainfall in steel-paneled tanks. Winter rains fill the tanks hikers use in the spring (March-April), and summer storms replenish water levels for hikers who choose to hike during the fall season (October-November).

Read next – Arizona Trail: Arizona’s 800 Mile Backbone

Collectors offer a safer option for hikers who historically had to rely on filtered water from cattle tanks. Algae cannot grow in this water, according to the ATA, because it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Cattle and wildlife have access to excess water that flows into the trough, while fences are installed to prevent livestock from accessing the unit.

Note: As with all water sources, water from this unit must be purified before consumption.

This project is made possible by the collaboration of ATA and many partner organizations. Funding was obtained from ATA members and a Resource Advisory Council (RAC) grant from the USDA Forest Service approved under the Secure Rural School Act Title II Funds. Several companies were involved in the construction and transportation of the collector, and an ATA volunteer spent his two days assembling the unit, fences and gates on site.

Since we installed it during the dry season, the collector was manually filled, but in the future it will be entirely dependent on seasonal rains.

“Water is life. As we see climate change robbing our entire state of natural water sources, we are looking for creative solutions to preserve the Arizona Trail and its hikers, runners, mountain bikers and equestrians. Finding out is becoming more and more important to our organization, said ATA Executive Director Matthew Nelson, “We need a wide range of partners, supporters, We are really proud to work with volunteers and land managers.”

Access ATA website Learn more about Remote Rainwater Collectors and other water sources along the AZT. You can also watch a video about the project from Pinal County Open Space & Trails by visiting here. Link.

Featured Image: Photovia ATA.

This website contains affiliate links. This means that The Trek may receive a portion of any product or service purchased using a link in an article or advertisement. Buyers pay the same price as usual. Your purchase helps support Trek’s ongoing goal of providing quality backpacking advice and information.

For more information, please visit the About this site page.