In 2002, when a severe decline in winter snow and spring
rainfall forced the city to declare a drought emergency,
gardeners throughout New York City faced a new twist on an age-
old dilemma. Unable to tap city fire hydrants -- the traditional
irrigation source for community gardens -- garden managers
looked to the skies for respite. Taking a cue from early
farmers, they gathered as many jars, barrels and cisterns as
they could find and set them out to capture and store a portion
of every summer downpour that passed over the city. By the end
of the year, at least seven gardens had created elaborate
rainwater harvesting systems channeling water from neighboring
rooftops and downspouts to 55-gallon drums and underground
cisterns. Four years later, the pressure to capture each
precious drop of water may not be as high, but the rainwater
harvesting continues. A loose-knit coalition of environmental
groups calling itself Water Resources Group has helped community
gardeners install water retention systems in 25 local