Stories in the Wash

We live an a little midtown, middle class neighborhood with cute brick houses that were built in the late forties. It boasts a small park that closes at 8pm. The Arcadia Wash runs through the heart of the neighborhood. Like many Tucson neighborhoods, we have our share of unhoused people. I've lived here for 30 years. Raised my boys here. Never really saw a problem with the unhoused until I became president of our new neighborhood association and listened to neighbors' concerns.

One concern was the trash build up from the campers in the wash. We responded by adopting the stretch from Fairmount to Speedway. At our first wash clean up 35 people picked up 80 bags of trash. My husband took load after load of trash to the pick up spot with the help of a young man living by the wash. Unfortunately, the area near Speedway is a "hotspot" for drug deals, so that area was soon littered with more trash.

When the city passed an ordinance prohibiting the unhoused from camping in the wash, many neighbors expressed concern about where they would end up. Some residents had already experienced problems with the unhoused in the easement behind their homes, going to the bathroom on their back wall, doing drugs, starting fires and destroying property. An elderly woman was frightened in the night by an unhoused man banging on her bedroom window demanding water.

Pinecrest leaders met to draft a response to the ordinance. Each participant was given a chance to share their stories about the unhoused. Two hadn't had much contact, but expressed that they wouldn't feel safe with them near their own homes. Zoraida, the administrator of Desert Sky Community School, shared some personal stories about dealing with unhoused loved ones. Her stories really hit home. On my walks, I'd met people who lost their homes who were still living in their old stomping grounds. They are our neighbors.

Then I shared my story... One morning I discovered a young man sleeping just outside my garden with his coat over his head. Feeling pressure from my next-door neighbor (who had planted prickly pear to block the unhoused from the easement), I asked the young man if he was planning to camp there. He replied, "No. I'll be moving along." He refused the water I offered and left. Later, a Facebook friend suggested that he may have just aged out of the foster care program and had no place to go. I still feel bad about not offering him more help. What if it was my child? 

Our fear of the unhoused is hurting everyone. There are no public restrooms because people don't want to encourage them to stay in their neighborhood. Where are they supposed to go? People chop down trees so they don't camp under them.  The police remove them from one area just to have them pop up in another. There must be a better, more humane way.

I spoke to a shop owner who was being robbed every day. Thieves would fill up the shopping basket and escape into the wash. One time she even closed down the store and chased after them. Recently, she mentioned that she had managed to make friends with one of the unhoused. He told his friends not to rob her because she was a good woman. They actually stopped stealing from her. Could this woman be onto something? 

I've heard of another neighborhood that had succeeded in creating a relationship with some campers living in the nearby wash. The campers agreed to clean up after themselves and were living in harmony with some of the residents. One woman even left her hose out for them to get water.  Could that work in our neighborhood? 

Reflecting on all the stories, I have mixed feelings. I want the criminal activity out of our neighborhood. But it's complicated. Not all unhoused are criminals. They all have their own stories. My husband and I started the neighborhood association to build community and to look out for each other. But what constitutes a community? What if we tried to form a real relationship with the campers? Could we find a way to live safely together?

I asked my brother, an addiction counselor in Missouri, for his thoughts. Would it be possible to have that kind of relationship with the unhoused? He said that it would take time to build trust. They have been hurt so many times. I would really have to be there for them for the long haul. I asked him where to start. He suggested that I ask what they needed. 

First meeting

Soon after that I got an opportunity to try that approach. I was watering some prickly pear pads I had planted along the wash (to keep drug addicts from that area near the school) and I spotted a couple of campers on the other side of the fence. I asked them how they were doing and that's how I met Dan. This skinny young man brought out my maternal side. I expressed how worried I was about the monsoon rains coming. Last year a young woman had been swept away in a sudden storm.

I also urged them not to start any fires in this dry season because neighbors were worried about them so close to their houses. (A nearby tree had caught on fire...) I reminded them that it is against the law to be too close to the school. And they seemed genuinely concerned when I shared how the teachers had to do a sweep of the area for needles before bringing the children there for a nature walk. Dan assured me that he wasn't doing drugs anymore and promised not to start any fires. He said they just want to be good neighbors.

I remembered what my brother said about being there for them. So I asked if there was anything I could do. They requested that I contact the city about not allowing the police to bulldoze their camp before they had a chance to grab their belongings. I was upset to hear that they have both felt harassed by the community resource officer. It was my understanding that community resource officers should build trust with the homeless in order to refer them to the correct organizations to help them. 

Second meeting 

I came back to let them know that I had contacted our rep at Ward 6. I yelled over the fence for Dan, but someone else answered. I asked if there was anything I could do for him. He asked for money for food, but I didn't have any money on me.

It bothered me that I didn't help him after offering. The next day I gathered canned food, cut up some melon and boiled some eggs. I also filled some glass bottles with ice water. I went around to the other side of the fence and approached the campground. This was the first time I had entered that area by myself because, honestly, I was afraid to go near them. But I marched right up there armed with my bag of food and water. Dan was in his tent with his dog resting after picking up trash in the hot sun. He and another camper, Brandon, came out when I took out the food. They were grateful - especially for the cool melon that they immediately dug into.

They said that the Community Resource Officer had posted an eviction notice. They were supposed to be out of there in a day, but now they might have until Tuesday to pack up their things.  During our neighborhood wash cleanups, we had assumed that the unhoused had trashed the place. But while I was there a big white pickup truck came by to dump trash on the lot. The campers said that was a regular occurrence. It looked like they were cleaning someone else's mess. 

After a long heart to heart about being good neighbors, I said I could look into them being allowed to stay. On the way home I ran into their friend coming back from bringing several loads to the dumpster a block away. He said that he had thrown up three times from the heat. I asked if there was anything I could do. He asked for a rake. 

That night I contacted our rep from Ward 6, and asked her about looking into the possibility of campers being allowed to stay. She called the Housing First people and found out that they had already been offered services in the past. And they had previously been starting fires and probably doing drugs at the time. Because it is privately owned property, the city can be sued if they do any damage. So they would be removed Tuesday. The wheels had already been set in motion. She was afraid that something might happen to me. But I wasn't afraid anymore. I was sad that it didn't work out for them to stay. I hope they accept some services this time.

Third meeting 

I returned to bring the guys ice water and an old rake. The only one there was their friend who was exhausted from spending all day cleaning the area. I asked him why he did it if the city was going to take down their camp anyway. He said he felt responsible for protecting the area. Since I had been kind to them, he opened up and admitted that they were all still addicts. He shared his story about how it took him months to get on AHCCS to get into a treatment center. Unfortunately, it didn't take. He said that Dan felt bad for lying to me - but he really wanted to stay there. I was relieved to hear that Dan was considering finally getting treatment. 

Fourth meeting

Tuesday morning I went back to make sure that they were treated Ok while being evicted. There was no sign of the police yet. Dan was in his tent with his dog. This was the first time I saw him high. Brandon explained that he was upset about leaving. Brandon's wife Elizabeth gave me a tour of their area. I took in the little details that made it a home - a dog dish, water bottles, a bird house hanging near the tree that shaded their tent, a scavenged teapot lamp that Brandon had brought her for a gift.  Brandon was busy planting seeds along an area that he had raked up and lined with rocks. I asked him why he was doing that when he was being removed that day. He said he likes to leave an area better than when he came. Yes, it was their home. How could we ever think that a bed at a crowded shelter could take its place?

In an email wrapping up the effort to the Pinecrest officers, I admitted to feeling foolish for believing the unhoused were clean and putting my good name on the line to stick up for them. While I wish I wouldn't have rushed into believing them, I am still glad I made an effort to create a relationship. Of course, that takes time. If only I had started earlier. As for me, I still want to come from a place of love, still bring food, water and kindness. I'm sorry I didn't really get a chance to hear their stories before they were pushed out.  I often think of Dan, Brandon, Elizabeth and their friend. I hope they got the help they needed.

Signs in the Wash 

(Poem with pics)

https://tucsonwashart.blogspot.com/2018/08/blog-post.html

Summer Vacation Survival Plan for Our Plants

Like many times before, the weather forecast called for rain. But this time our eucalyptus tree was swaying frantically in the wind and dropped a branch. Dan rushed outside to clear the gutters so we could harvest every bit of the long awaited rain. 

We were hoping to get a new cistern connected before we left on a family trip to Wisconsin the next day. And now we were racing the first storm of a delayed monsoon season, too. 

Dan had ordered some parts to connect a 425 gallon cistern to collect the overflow from our 200 gallon tank. During a heavy rain, the 200 gallon tank wasn't big enough to hold all the water that flowed from our neighbor's huge roof.  Hoping to get the cistern installed before the downpour, Dan had made a soft bed of sand for it to sit on and rolled the 425 gallon cistern in place on plastic pipes.

Unfortunately, the necessary parts didn't arrive before we had to leave. Neither did the rain. 

It finally rained 0.03 inches on July 2nd, just after we left for our trip. We were sad to miss it. 

But preparations for the trip had begun days before. Our "drought tolerant" plants were already suffering from weeks of extreme heat.108 degrees the day before we left on our trip! If my precious plants were to survive for the 11 days that we would be gone, I would need to deep water some - even if that took some city water.  I left the hose running on low to deep water my scorched palm tree and the surrounding agaves a few days before. 

Our droopy Mexican honeysuckle (that usually lived on rinse water) got similar treatment. 
 

I used the remainder of the rainwater in the big 500 gallon cistern to deep water the struggling pomegranate, curry, and moringa trees.  

(Dan drilled 2 small holes in each of the 5 gallon buckets to release the water slowly.) 

 

Our poor moringa had suffered greatly from the long dry winter, and the freeze (among other things.) It just needed it to make it until the monsoon rains started - when we knew it could grow 6 feet.  We gave it 15 gallons of rainwater the day before we left and covered it with shade cloth to protect it from the July sun.   

But I was really worried about my new pollinator plants (Arizona foldwing and spiderwort shown below) that needed nearly daily water in this heat.  Of course, being planted in the rain basin doesn't do a lick of good if it doesn't rain. 

Luckily a new friend came to the rescue - offering to come over daily and water those special plants and some recently planted veggies and newly sprouted herbs in our little garden! That was a great load off of my mind. 

So off we went to Wisconsin to hang out with family. 

But being the water nerds that we are, Dan did a presentation on "A Story of Water in the Desert" for Sustainable Tucson while we were there. 

We needn't have worried about not harvesting that extra rain in the overflow tank. It hadn't rained much while we were away. Sadly, the basin was bone dry, but everything in it survived thanks to the loving care of our neighborhood angel.

Dan went right to work hooking up the new cistern. 

Just in time, too! Three days after we got home we got three days of rain! 1.03 inches worth!

The spiderwort pollinator bloomed in the basin...

The Mexican honeysuckle plumped right up with orange hummingbird trumpets. 

The moringa has grown a foot so far...

The first big rain refilled our 500 gallon cistern, so we needed to use up some so there would be room in the tank for more. 

Jar collects every last drop in the hose

After deep watering the fig tree, pomegranate, moringa and curry, we went ahead and gave the mesquite on the high end of the basin 6 buckets of rainwater, even though we normally don't water it at all. After all, it was supposed to be a big wet monsoon this year.... 

 

We celebrated collecting all that rain with a new sign: "This Home Harvests the Rain." 

#lovemyrainbasin

Getting Through Our Long Dry Spell

It's been a weird year. The absence of winter rains combined with record heat has been very rough on our poor plants. How am I supposed to conserve water if I can't harvest rainwater?! In past years I boasted about not using any city water on my landscaping. This year was very humbling. 

Since most of our cisterns have been empty for a while, I was forced to use more city water than I would like to keep my plants alive. I confess that I have even watered our prickly pear when the pads were too emaciated to hold up the flowers.

I've given water to the native chiltepin to perk up the leaves and to the usually resilient rosemary plant that was beginning to yellow. When I saw the signs of leaves finally returning to the hackberry, I gave it some water to help it along. (I try to water them before it gets too hot - or at night - so it doesn't just evaporate.) 

The little bit of rainwater left in one barrel was reserved for my young pollinators and a few garden veggies sheltered by the Palo Verde.

Some native plants faired better in these conditions. I didn't have to water the desert broom, palo verde or mesquite at all. 

Our durable curry was doing so well, I figured that was one place I could cut back on watering. Wrong.  The leaves wilted and yellowed. Lesson learned. I'm back to regular deep watering them with city water.

At least I have greywater, right? Nope. To make matters worse, our washing machine finally died - defying Dan's best efforts to repair it. So, for over a week, we didn't even have greywater for our pomegranate whose leaves were already stunted from the heat. We rushed to the appliance store and bought a new Energy Star washer. We were delighted to get a rebate from the city because it conserves water.... But that meant that it only supplied a gallon or two of greywater for our pomegranate and palm trees. And that water pooled by the entrance of the basin so it didn't even reach the tree.

Then it happened. I used up the last drops of rainwater from our rain barrel.

Now everything was on city water. I just have to keep them alive until monsoon season - in a month?!

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse - a miracle occurred! It rained! 1/2 inch! In June?!

Dan was out in the rain clearing leaves from the gutter so every last drop of water could fill up the cisterns. Then he reshaped the greywater basin so the water reached the tree. My hero!

Our thirsty basin soaked in the rain. The spiderwort grew and bloomed. 

The moringa produced more nutritional leaves. 

The mesquite boasts green pods. Didn't I notice them before? Or were they just waiting for the rain? 

So I'm back to spoiling the pollinators and veggies with rainwater while conserving all the city water I can.

I'm usually more of an advocate for rain basins. But this experience has taught me the importance of having more cisterns to harvest rainwater for the plants in those basins. After hearing my story, a friend shared how she still had rain in her biggest cistern. She urged us to install the cistern sitting in the backyard before the monsoon storms arrive to get us through future dry periods. And so I can plant more pollinators! 

OK. Enough belly-aching. Here's some bunnies taking advantage of the moisture by the spiderwort I watered...

It's all worth it to keep my cooling plants alive until the monsoon rain arrives.  

Looking Back at our Weird AZ Staycation

Looks like a lovely forest scene, right? And it is. But what you can't see in this pic is that the large ravine flows unconcerned to the foundation of the house next-door - our accommodations for the Flagstaff portion of our family vacation. They could use some serious rock dams to stop the flow! And it appears that all of these McMansions were being built as AirBNBs when there is a housing shortage here. Sometimes a little knowledge can be kind of a bummer - especially during a long awaited family vacation.

While in Flagstaff, we visited the historic Riordan Mansion. Unlike the McMansions mentioned above, this mansion was built to last. In addition to having all the modern conveniences of the time (the first to have electricity), they created a comfy living space in American Arts and Crafts style. A large hall filled with every kind of amusement imaginable, connected the two residences (like a duplex) providing a welcoming space for the two sides of the Riordan clan to enjoy time together. Yes, it's good to be rich. But what really impressed me were the stories of how the family took that responsibility even farther by  helping to build the new town.  

Before this story gets weird, I want to say that we so appreciated the time we got to spend with our beloved family that traveled to our state from Wisconsin and Missouri. I will cherish those moments forever. Thanks to my dear sister for including us.

While we were touring the Riordan Mansion with my mom, other family members took off to explore the Grand Canyon or Sedona. Then we headed to Chandler. (The Wisconsin clan wanted to get away from the cold...) The record heat discouraged a kayak trip down the Salt River. Instead the kids spent the day swimming in a pool right beside the man-made lake.

Here's where it gets weird... apparently this is a thing in Chandler. Even my son commented on it. As we drove down the main drive, we passed development after development - each with its own private lake. Have they heard about our water shortage in Arizona? It turns out that Chandler has grandfathered water rights from the time when the area was farm land. So they are using that allotment to water lawns and private golf courses and fill swimming pools and lakes. 

There have been several bills proposed at the Arizona Legislature (including the current SB1611) that allow farmers to sell their land along with grandfathered water rights for development. Sponsors claim that housing requires less water than agriculture. At least farmers can choose to plant low-water crops... If our reps are going to pass this bill, they really need to make sure they include conservation measures to prevent water waste like we saw in Chandler.

*See UPDATE on SB1611 below.

We passed this one farm in Chandler 

Our legislators claim to care about the housing crisis in Arizona. But aren't they really just giving us more McMansions and seasonal water wasters? Not to mention... the housing shortage in the U.S. is about equal to the number of air BNBs. Yep, a little knowledge can dampen a vacation. 

Well, it's good to be back home in Tucson - where, at least, we know how to conserve water. 

If you would like to push back against bad bills that weaken our already lax water regulations, check out Desktop Activist Tucson. 

*UPDATE (June 21, 2025)

SB1611 physical availability exemption credit; groundwater (Shope: Petersen), also known as the ag to urban bill because it promotes development on agricultural lands, was significantly improved and could result in some groundwater savings. For example, the revised bill sets limits on how much water a development can withdraw based on a groundwater threshold and it limits the use of water-thirsty landscaping and decorative features like lakes and waterfalls. We remain concerned about the bill promoting more urban sprawl rather than encouraging more sustainable development and that it significantly increases the replenishment obligation of the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD). The CAGRD was designed to utilize excess Central Arizona Project (CAP) water, but there is no excess CAP water any longer, so what will be used for replenishment? It also reduces the replenishment reserve requirement for the CAGRD. Additionally, there appear to be some potential loopholes in the 36 page long bill.