Raven Canyon receives the Texas Water Development Board’s Texas Rain Catcher Award

For immediate release. Contact: Media Relations at 512-463-5129

AUSTIN – (October 5, 2022) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. Raven Canyon in Hunt, Texas was recognized in the agricultural category.

The TWDB's Texas Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in the application of rainwater harvesting systems in Texas, promotes rainwater harvesting technology, and educates the public on this critical water-saving practice.

Raven Canyon uses rainwater harvesting in various forms to evenly distribute water to its fruit tree orchards and gardens year-round. By collecting excess rainfall, Raven Canyon can store and redistribute water over a longer period using 5,000 feet of drip lines, providing higher quality water for better fruit production while avoiding the cost of procuring water from other sources.

The entire canyon is managed for rainwater collection with the ability to store more than 27,000 gallons of water. The system includes three pressurized UV-filtered systems, a 10,000-gallon concrete reservoir, three 2,500-gallon accessory storage tanks, plus nine rock dams and two stock tanks located at the bottom of the canyon. Habitat restoration on the site has also changed the water and mineral cycles of Raven Canyon and allowed more effective absorption and filtration.

The Texas Rain Catcher Award competition began in 2007 and is open to all individuals, companies, organizations, municipalities, and other local and state governmental entities in Texas. It recognizes entities and individuals in the rainwater harvesting community and beyond and establishes award recipients as dedicated water conservation leaders in Texas. Raven Canyon is one of five awardees being recognized statewide this year.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.