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the landscape. Even very sophisticated cul- tures and societies are not immune from the changes these stressors may bring. All aspects of our life, from food pro- duction and distribution systems to roads, buildings and power grids, are designed to meet our needs under "normal" condi- tions. As more intense storms, floods, drought and changing distributions of re- source availability become manifest, the foundations of normal design solutions will not succeed in maintaining our needs. water management. Long-term manage- ment of the water management infrastruc- tures would be reduced, and sites would be safer while retaining higher market value and resale potential. Combining human and ecological sys- tems with water management is a way to keep our quality of life and reduce poten- tial vulnerabilities in the future. It's a way to directly address some of the root causes of our changing conditions and risky problems and challenges we face. If good water management strategies are integrated with the concepts of ecological systems in developing and redeveloping landscapes, substantial money could be saved by not needing infrastructure for water management. Ecological-based approaches will solve many problems and address many stressors simultaneously. What does an ecologically based solution encompass? It's a compre- hensive approach to address economic, en- vironmental and social needs. It's an understanding that poor water management has substantial ecological and human costs. If good water management strategies are integrated with the concepts of eco- logical systems in developing and redevel- oping landscapes, substantial money could be saved by not needing infrastructure for One example of an ecological approach to meet our needs now and in the future is the idea of increasing organic soil matter to essentially "re-grow" our available water supplies. A one-percent increase in organic soil matter per acre equates to an addi- tional 60,000 gallons of water-holding ca- pacity in the soil. Organic matter is about 30 percent carbon, and the depletion of our soils has resulted in one of the largest emissions of greenhouse gases, which greatly con- tributes to atmosphere deterioration. If we commit to improving soil carbon levels, even incrementally, the result will reduce flooding; improve potable water and water supplies for ecological systems; reduce soil erosion; and improve the qual- ity, nutrition and quantity of food pro- duced per acre. Re-growing soil organic matter is one of the largest, single-most accessible, non- experimental approaches to curb the effect of unpredictable meteorological changes and mitigate the effects of this severe weather. The immediate benefits from improved soil quality include less water for irrigation and relying less on herbicides and pesti- cides. However, marketplace or policy in- centives to encourage such stewardship haven't been in place. Other possibilities for incorporating effective irrigation practices may have to focus on managing precipitation. This could happen close to where the rainfall and snowmelt occur. Then this retained water, stored in the soils and in various landscape features can be the source of ir- rigation water. This strategy can be used both passively and actively. Minimizing future risk As we see the results of increasingly risky weather and uncertainty, and as we feel the effect of higher costs for items we rely on to support our quality of life, it's time to encourage a new approach to water-resource management. Prudent decisions should be made using scientific facts and evidence to guide our future and minimize our risk in a non- partisan and forward-thinking manner. The role of "re-growing" soil organic matter and using water conservation strate- gies to protect and "re-grow" available water supplies is a sure way to meet the heat of the future head on despite the un- predictability of severe weather events. LI Steven Apfelbaum founded Applied Ecologi- cal Services, a full-service ecology restoration firm with ten offices in the United States and two abroad. He is also the author of Nature's Sec- ond Chance, a personal memoir recognized as one the top 10 environmental books of 2009, and co-author ofThe Restoring Ecological Health to Your Land series, which shows read- ers of all skill levels how to design and imple- ment their own restorations. Both books are available at www.amazon.com. www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation 19