WaterForWildlife - billbreit/BitWiseApps GitHub Wiki

For every action, there is an opposite and greater reaction.

- The Third Law of Political Physics

The Water For Wildlife project is a sort of scouting mission. As the new reality of climate crisis is hurdling toward us, I wish I could say that the climate of reality is also hurdling toward us, but such is not the case.

Much of the the climate debate is so far from reality that I'm starting to call it "Political Physics", which is almost literally true. I'm not sure what it is going to take for people to understand that climate 'crisis' is not mental - it's physical and that changes the entire game. It's not a two-player game, it's a three-player game: the 'pro' crowd, the 'anti' crowd and Planet Earth. And let me assure you, Planet Earth is holding all the cards, the other players are living on hope.

In fact, I worry that much of the the climate debate as of year 2025 may be irrelevant - it will certainly be irrelevant to the estimated 2 million species that are predicted to become extinct by the end of the century, and that's an optimistic scenario !

A final piece of climate advise: Don't listen to what their mouths say, watch what their hands do. That will tell you what's really going on inside their heads ...

The overall objective is to 'save' 1% of the 2,000,000 species scheduled for extinction by the actions of our species, or about 20,000 species. Certainly, strenuous efforts will be made to save 'poster child' species, mostly large mammals but with a few amphibians and invertebrates thrown in for balance. However, the less flashy species will probably get less public support and the 'invisible' species probably none at all. They tend to be smaller and less mobile, more likely to be eaten and therefore less visible than flashier species. In fact, the invisible species are usually critical to the survival of the visible species.

The basic strategy is to pick winning habitats rather than winning species ... and almost all winning habitats have one thing in common. Water.

Selecting the right place to set up the watering site is critical. Geology and detailed climate forecasts would help guide the process. New technology such as TDEM ( Time Domain Electromagnetic Pulse ) can help to see existing aquifer structures to a sufficient depth, in this case about 200 feet ( 67 meters ). Then comes drilling the well, installing the solar panels and all the sensing, actuating and control equipment, maybe with drip irrigation lines to sunny spots supporting vegetation, and hundreds of other details ... but that's just the geology and technology side of the project, that's the easy bit.

The level of biological knowledge required to achieve a little Noah's Arc in the midst of a multi-year, perhaps multi-decade drought is difficult to grasp - it's difficult to imagine. Baring a few academic studies, almost every useful biological factor such as animal behavior in extreme drought is either vaguely known, unknown or nearly unknowable at this time.

Consider phenology, which is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles, seasonal of course, but especially due to climate change. There a few theses and studies about drought and animals ( and very useful they are ), but no one I have encountered claims to have a complete model to help predict the impact of massive climate disruptions on animal behavior, especially the interaction between different animal populations. It's inherently unpredictable. Polar Bears hunting Beluga Whales ... no way !

Even 'animal aesthetics' about what constitutes drinkable water is not well known. Why do dogs walk through a water puddle several times before drinking from it ? Must taste better. Dog coffee ?

Note that a useful planning horizon for this project is something like 100 years and that implies a large, sustained, funded organizational effort. This project is intended as a preliminary first cut at supporting that larger effort.

The payload of this project is providing water to wildlife ( mainly small, sedentary animals ) in remote areas during extreme drought conditions or after destructive wildfires. A watering site would consist of a solar-powered water pump supporting a small, self-contained micro-habitat, mainly bugs, frogs, reptiles and rodents, but with visits from more mobile and even migrating species.

Ideally, a site would be hardened and reliable, receiving perhaps one maintenance visit per year and be able to act autonomously for a full year at a time. The site of the installation would provide data collection about animal populations along with some level of automated decision-making about watering policies ( i.e. if you hear frogs, it's probably a good idea to start pumping ).

There are many usage scenarios.

• A lower capacity installation with a well head of 100 feet might provide for a deep-drought emergency, say 200 gallons per day, more like a mud lick than a watering hole.

• A higher capacity installation with a shallow well might help maintain a threatened wetland, with maybe 800 gallons per day. Small towns, environmental organizations and even individuals might provide financing and support.

An attractive preliminary approach is tapping into the existing home/garden automation infrastructure. It's surprising how many species ( even threatened species ) appear in suburban or semi-rural habitats, hellbender salamanders for instance. I think once people begin to understand the impact of climate 'crisis' on wildlife, they will want to do something to help. How to deliver effective help is the purpose of this project.

• A well of a depth roughly 100 feet below the current water table, 200 ft. max.

• A solar-power water pump, 24 volt, 6 amps, and maybe auxiliary pumps.

• An absolute minimum of two 600 watt @ 12 volts solar panels for a trickle of water ( 200-400 gallons per day ), under realistic conditions. One or two 1200 watt @ 24 volts might be more cost effective and would probably be required in northerly locations.

• A fairly sophisticated smart power control unit and batteries, 24 volt.

• One Raspberry Pi Zero W ( < 200 ma, 5V ) and at least one Raspberry Pi Pico ( < 100ma, 3.3V ). Or equivalent, a current-hardened Arduino, ESP32, etc.

• A Large Collection of Sensors
  • Control Parameters , such as voltage from solar panel, battery level, pump pressure/flow meter, well head depth ... etc.
  • Environment Sensors , such as temp, humidity, barometric pressure, soil moisture ( both shallow and deep ), motion detectors ... etc.
  • Vision System , differentiate between species in order to enforce watering policies ( for example, 'deer and coyotes can go find water elsewhere' ), and provide a reality check on site status.
  • Acoustic System , detect amphibians and other species, loud noises, remarkable events.
  • BioMetric System, capturing data about habitat health: bacterial, microbial, species usage, preliminary analysis, etc. Much of this technology is in development, not yet deployable.

• A thousand gallon ( or so ) water tank capable of flash flooding the watering area to purge out potential contaminates, or to augment 200 gallon/day pumping capacity. Might also use rainwater catchment. ( $? )

• And, not least, extremely quick, compact and stable software to run it all, ideally with a common core of libraries for both Python and MicroPython. That's where I hope to help smooth the way ( probably in conjunction with HomeAssistant or some other 'standard' ).

One of the major features of the software would be to limit the number of pump on-off cycles from variable cloud cover, something like power-assisted pedaling on an e-bike. This can double or triple the life span of a water pump, and probably other solar powered components as well.

The technology and geology parts of the project are challenging, but the biology is staggeringly complex, probably requiring a massive AI-scale modeling project in itself. Bioethics is also a major consideration, although managed relocation of species seems to be emerging as a pragmatic alternative to extinction.

There are also numerous pragmatic factors such how to keep the site clean of debris, carcasses and other hazards, such as carrying fungal spores to the site. Theft and vandalism is not least among considerations.

As if all that were not enough ... I saved the best bit for last, the total cost of an installed site should be under $20-25,000, including preparing the site and drilling the well.

Impossible ? It may be.

As a more achievable interim objective:

• Something like FarmBot. Also note their open-source Farmduino micro-controller.
• Home garden automation based on Home Assistant might be more achievable within a few years.

With the understanding that an inexpensive solar-power pump might produce 200-400 gallons a day ( not much ), there are also entirely different alternatives to support wildlife in extreme drought, such as rain-water catchment and ground-water containment. In fact, improved methods for ground water containment might be more cost ( and wildlife ) effective in supporting populations of animals in drying wetlands ( using blue water or 'light grey', mostly clean ). There is already an existing network of organizations devoted to preserving wetlands, which might extend to establishing new wetlands as well.

One idea is the design of a very slow but persistent solar-powered robot to build and maintain wetland structures, small dams, percolation wells, etc. The Artificial Beaver ? It's a keystone species in much of North America - might be a small hedge against an uncertain future.

Probably a mix of pumping, catchment and containment would produce the best results for a given site. Selecting sites 'where two worlds meet' might be a good overall strategy.

There is also the nagging problem of the 'null hypothesis'. Would the species attracted to an artificial habitat be better off moving to a more hospitable area ? The question can never be answered entirely - trying to outguess Nature is tricky at best. Useful metrics about species and habitat health should be the top priority for any 'eco-engineering' effort to mitigate the massive impact of impending climate catastrophe on animal populations. The metrics might even start with bacterial and microbial health, and on up the food chain.

The overall metric is to prevent extinction of known species, but the day-to-day working metric will probably be maintaining populations of less known or unknown prey species and leaving the final extinction metrics to Nature and posterity.

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According to Google AI for query "design a watering station for animals during extreme drought" including both livestock and wildlife.

AI Overview

To design a watering station for animals during extreme drought, prioritize water conservation, accessibility, and safety. Consider solar-powered pumps, smaller troughs, and fencing to minimize water loss and competition. For wildlife, provide shallow dishes with easy access and exit, and ensure water is regularly refreshed.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

For Livestock:

• Water Source: Utilize solar-powered pumps for remote locations, especially if drawing from surface water or shallow wells.
• Water Storage: Consider smaller, deeper ponds with rounded edges to minimize evaporation and seepage.
• Waterer Type: Individual drinkers can help keep water cooler and cleaner, and are generally freeze-proof in colder climates.
• Accessibility: Place watering points within 800 feet of grazing areas to minimize travel and overgrazing.
• Multiple Waterers: Install multiple smaller troughs rather than few large ones to ensure all animals have access and reduce competition.
• Rotational Grazing: If using rotational grazing, consider portable waterers that can be moved with the animals.
• Water Quality: Ensure waterers are cleaned regularly to prevent algae and bacteria growth.
• Prevent Mud: Use heavy-use areas around waterers to minimize mud issues.
• Safety: Ensure waterers have anti-siphoning devices to prevent water contamination.
• Sizing: Size pumps and piping to deliver the maximum needed flow of water without excessive friction loss.

For Wildlife:

• Location: Place water sources near natural shelters like shrubs or trees, where wildlife feel safe.
• Shallow Dishes: Use shallow, wide dishes with low edges to allow smaller species to access water without the risk of falling in.
• Easy Exit: Add rocks or other materials that animals can easily climb out of to prevent drowning.
• Water Refreshment: Regularly refresh water to prevent mosquito breeding and maintain water quality.
• Variety: Offer a variety of water sources, including bird baths, shallow dishes, and even small, shallow puddles.
• Avoid Predators: Be mindful of predators and try to place water sources in areas that are less likely to be accessed by cats or other predators.

General Tips for Drought Resilience:

• Plant drought-tolerant vegetation: Consider drought-tolerant grasses and legumes to improve pasture resilience.
• Conserve water: Implement water-conserving practices in your garden and landscape.
• Monitor water levels: Regularly check water sources and adjust water allocation as needed.
• Be prepared for water scarcity: Have backup water sources or plans in place if drought conditions worsen.

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