- Beyond Sustainability - The Case for Regenerative Design
- Understanding Place - Climate, Site, and Solar Geometry
- The Six Integrated Systems - An Overview
- Building with the Earth—Natural Materials
- Passive Solar Design - Heating and Cooling Without Machines
- Off-Grid Energy Systems - Power from the Sun
- Water - Catching, Storing, and Cycling
- Liquid Waste Treatment - Botanical Systems
- Food Systems—Buildings That Feed
- Community Design - Scaling Up
- The Integrated Design Process
- Appendix A: Glossary of Key Terms
- Appendix B: The Pangea Textbook Series
- Appendix C: Key Design Principles at a Glance
- The Regenerative Community Vision
- Site Assessment and Land Reading
- Land Use Law and Legal Frameworks
- Master Planning for Regenerative Communities
- Infrastructure Systems Integration
- Housing Typologies and Density Design
- Community Governance Structures
- Economic Models for Community Development
- Phased Development Strategy
- Community Resilience and Long-Term Stewardship
- Appendix A: Legal Entity Comparison Chart
- Appendix B: Community Design Checklist
- Appendix C: Glossary of Community Development Terms
In the American West, water rights are separate from land ownership and governed by the doctrine of prior appropriation: “first in time, first in right.” A landowner does not automatically have the right to use water flowing through or under their land — that right must be separately acquired and maintained through use.
For community development in the Southwest, water rights assessment is as important as title search. Key questions include: Does the property have existing surface water rights? What is the priority date of those rights? Are there groundwater rights? Is the proposed water use (domestic, agricultural, commercial) covered by existing rights? What is the process for acquiring new rights if needed?
Rainwater harvesting is legal in most states (New Mexico explicitly permits it) and represents an important strategy for supplementing water rights. A well-designed community can harvest substantial precipitation from roof surfaces without implicating water rights law in most jurisdictions — though this should be confirmed with local counsel.