If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in water.

We as humans have immense capabilities to directly impact and shape our environment drastically. We can do this for better, through deliberate and intentional observation and action, or worse, by ignorance and neglect. In recent times, we have begun to observe the effects we have on the planet and local ecosystems. What has been noticed, more often than not is that our developments and buildings have had a negative effect on wildlife, and ecosystems as a whole. A big reason for this is that for a long time, we were unaware of what we were doing, and then once  cognitive of the problem, we didn’t know what to do about it. 

That time has since past, we now know, full well, what we can do as a species to not only protect the environment, but how to help set up conditions for it to thrive. Using techniques both ancient and new, there is tremendous work being done in the name of helping our planet blossom. From transforming some of the driest, most barren places on earth to the proverbial gardens of Eden, all the way to restoring rivers that run through some of the biggest cities in the world from polluted streams to thriving rivers again. Oasis Restoration is dedicated to making our planet an Oasis again. From small scale projects to immense endeavors, we are excited for you to join us as we help our planet not only survive, but to thrive. Welcome to Oasis Restoration, where we provide planet restoration through water preservation.

Water is the foundation of life. Where water flows, life grows. 

Over the course of human history, we have completed countless projects altering the flow of streams and rivers, whether for drinking, mining, or land reclamation. We did these things often to  the detriment of the environment. For example, we would straighten a river, leading the water to flow quickly through a habitat, rather than slowly wind through. In the 1600’s in America, we removed one of the best modifiers of the land: Beavers. Removing beavers that naturally made ponds, slowing down water runoff, spreading out surface water. This has led to the degradation of land and oceans. When water is slowed down by dams, crossing rivers and the like, organic sediment settles to the bottom of the areas, providing much needed nutrients for those environments. Allowing that water to flow quickly and directly into the ocean leads to massive algae booms that are to the detriment of the ocean environments.   A damaged environment often damages other environmental areas.

We are now reversing that trend. Using  our ingenuity with ancient practices and modern technology, we are restoring natural habitats. Once a little coordinated effort is invested in an environment, nature then naturally takes up the mantle and improves upon it. Essentially, once barren land grows a modest amount of plants, those plants then prevent runoff and soil erosion, slowing down the water that then saturates the soil. The saturated soil in turn causes more plants to grow, which in turn causes more water saturation, and we have created a self-perpetuating environmental cycle.  We have created an Oasis.

Like every other animal on the planet, humans have an impact on our environment, and in turn, the climate and planet as a whole. 

Since the industrial revolution, we have altered our planet at an unprecedentedly rapid rate. From the burning of fossil fuels, to the altering of landscape, and creation of building materials, an assortment of chemicals, plastics, etc. Many of these have had a less than optimal impact on the biosphere.  We have had considerable impressions on the planet, from the diversion of waterways causing forests to dry out and become more susceptible to fires, the major algae booms from rapid runoff of precipitation, to increasingly devastating flooding. A few scientists even speculate carbon may be the culprit of climate change.

Slowing water down, allowing it too so into the land cures all these problems and more. With more water in the land, trees and shrubs retain more moisture, increasing nature's resilience to destructive forest fires. The slower water snakes through a landscape, the more nutrients settle into that landscape, in turn, increasing the fertility and preventing organic matter runoff causing deadly algae booms. As stated before, the more plants and dams there are in an ecosystem, the slower water moves through during catastrophic storms. The more water is slowed and absorbed, the less flooding that occurs downstream, wiping out those ecosystems.  The best way to reverse carbon-induced climate change is to promote environments that sequester carbon. The best way to sequester carbon on land is to grow planets, which convert carbon to oxygen, thus reversing-carbon induced climate change.  

It behooves us to work in conjunction with nature, rather than oppose her. 

Every year, lives are lost and infrastructure destroyed by the elements. Namely, storms. Storms cause hundreds of billions of dollars in loses every year damages. From flooding to forest fires, even worse than the financial loss is the displacement of families and the unnecessary loss of life. The acute damage we have caused to our environments, coupled with the mismanagement of our infrastructure exponentiates the dangers of every environmental disaster. Flood waters rush in faster and higher, giving us less time to react and causing greater devastation and casualties. Forest fires rage hotter and spread quicker causing similar devastation. We can’t stop storms or forest fires, as these are a part of nature, however we can take better care of our environment and our infrastructure to diminish the devastation.

Much can be done to mitigate these environmental disasters. From simple modifications to our infrastructure, to restorative work in the environments surrounding us. Water runs off a barren desert much quicker than a thriving ecosystem. Rather than soaking into the soil, replenishing that ecosystem, it gathers together forming ever more raging floods. This is a two fold effect, for when the water replenishes the soil and thus the ecosystem, that ecosystem is wetter and far more green, reducing the chance and destructive force of forest fires. Allowing water to slow down and seep naturally in nature creates a much more stable, safer environment. Unnecessary suffering can be prevented, untold lives can be safeguarded, and hundreds of billions of dollars saved.

Water is vital to our way of life.

We depend on water for so much beyond drinking, but shipping and growing our food as well. Without water, we can’t grow the food needed to support our growing population. As such, we tap into not only surface water, but increasingly into underground aquifers to source water for agriculture. So much so, that at the current rate we are pumping ground water, thousands of wells and aquifers will run dry in the next 20 years, and that is only in California. It is not only us that relies on these water tables as well. Entire ecosystems depend on ground water. Draining aquifers dries up natural springs, causing potentially devastating effects for all the plants and animals that rely on that spring. 

Overall, slowing down water allows the water to seep into the soil, in turn, filling up aquifers, restoring ground water levels. At the current rate, we are depleting ground water levels rapidly. We have the ability to reverse that trend, creating a sustainable system for agriculture, securing our food sources for generations to come. This would in turn lessen our dependency on draining our lakes and surface water as well. All of this would result in healthier environments and ecosystems. Working to refill our aquifers and ground water levels is working to creating a sustainable, stable, and much more environmentally friendly symbiosis with nature.