Swales

Four weeks ago, I got a one-day-rental on a Trackhoe. If you're not familiar, think of a digging dinosaur on rubber treads.

 After an hour I had a grasp on it, after three was fairly comfortable and after 8 hours, fell head-over-heels for the smooth operation and cozy cockpit of the Kubota Trackhoe. So user-friendly and efficient. Below is a misty view of two of the longest swales. There are five total on about half an acre of east to south facing slope.

 What is a swale? Lets not get technical because I am not a technician or an engineer, I am a simple planter that desired to catch rainwater on a steep slope. So, the swale is a trench and berm system that catches water. Normally, hills are dry not for lack of water, but because the rains runoff. My observation is that a light, long rain on a hillside often moistens the soil better than a hard, fast and heavy rain followed by sun. If it doesn't runoff, it evaporates afterwards. A swale catches that water in the soil, where bushes, trees and shrubs can thrive in droughty weather. Now, some swales are designed to divert the water, say, into a pond. Mine are dead-level in order to water the entire contour, which then provides little microclimes for plants to thrive. Dead-level was achieved with the help of a 20' length of 1" wide clear vinyl hose taped around two yardsticks. Two men crouching in the grass, making slight motions and yelling out numbers to each other was all it took to tag a line on the earth with yellow spray paint and stakes. The trackhoe did the rest!

I chose to use the 2 foot wide bucket, 'get big or get out' the popular industrial ag slogan of the late 70's. Well, now it applies to permaculture, baby! dig em wide and dig em deep. I hope it was the right choice...they definitely aren't small. 

I will post some more pictures as the swales develop. The early plan is to fill the trench in with logs and compost and mulch. Then to plant the berms with probably canefruits interspersed with autumn olives and goumi bushes. Any readers with planting and swale know-how please pipe in.