Iceland Curlex blankets (purchased at BrockWhite) were staked in place to stop erosion and help the seeds germinate … I think the main confusion is thinking that runoff is always a bad thing. Swales—in permaculture terminology—are built on contour, which means they run level across the landscape. Montenegro San Marino Yugoslavia Using swales for these reasons can prevent both floods and droughts, which make them a pretty powerful tool. Steep slopes can be net and pan earth worked with small catch pan basin mini earth worked for trees connected by diversion drains as net to trap and infiltrate water to each tree planted for steep slope recovery and stability. Sounds like your slope is too steep for swales Kelly, have you thought about terracing? Slovenia For swales on steep slopes (5% or steeper), berms or check dams can be used to slow down the flow of runoff and reduce the potential for erosion. That usually means you’re looking for good drainage for your young trees, not water-logged soil. If you do have a wetlands species, a simple depression – natural, or dug with a spade – will serve the same purpose as a swale (and what’s more, requires no calculations or risks). Chad The project tracked 11 storms and concluded that particulate … Locate steep slopes. Jersey See Figure 2. I was working by myself with shovels and hoes, which meant the results were small and any failures easily remedied. As that water is pacified, swales also spread it out over the landscape rather than having it concentrate only in specific topographical areas, and they hold the captured water in place until it is able to soak into the soil. Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Eritrea New Caledonia Soils on steep slopes tend to be unstable due to natural and anthropogenic causes. If the rainwater runoff in your yard is usually light, you can probably get by with a simple shallow swale … Kiribati US Minor Outlying Islands Anguilla Zimbabwe, State On steep slopes, shallow, small swales (only 40cms deep) can be dug by hand at a spacing of about every 10m. In some climates, they can potentially oversaturate the landscape, leaving a designer with difficult growing conditions. Nepal Kazakhstan Bahamas They can cause the soil to shift and slide down the hill. Why We Use Swales and How to Do It Appropriately. Determine annual rainfall. A dry swale with an underdrain is a relatively shallow, ... with the main difference being the step pool is employed on relatively steep longitudinal slopes. But, I know now that I could have done a much better job, and I hope that, by sharing a bit of what I’ve learned, this might help to lead people towards more successful swales and, in turn, permaculture systems. Mozambique Sudan New South Wales Keep the taller ones at the top with the lower plants towards the bottom. Somalia Can swales be used on a steep slope to stabilise the soil? Hello Kelly, as stated in the article any slope greater than 15 degrees is unsuitable for swales. Swales are best used on sites with relatively flat slopes. Nauru Germany Liechtenstein Western Australia, This is a very interesting question, as I've had dealings with steep slopes in the past. Swales also perform the opposite function, taking on the overflow of dams that have reached capacity and spreading and soaking the excess water across the landscape. Your email address will not be published. Rwanda For instance, swales should not be built on a slope greater than about 15%. Burundi Over the next several years, the landscape will become fully hydrated, which will make it drought-resistant, and the groundwater sources will begin to recharge. For vegetable gardens, smaller swales are usually better. Virgin Islands (British) Suriname Even in the case of using them to extend catchments for dams or to provide an overflow system, trees should still be planted, especially on the downhill side of the swale, and it is advisable to plant more just along the uphill edge or backside (nitrogen-fixers are great for this). Swales and terraces should be made following the shape of the land, so that if heavy rains come this will not create problems. Jamaica Taiwan Planting groundcover when landscaping steep slopes should be a large part of your landscape design, which can include shrubs, perennials, and even some landscape trees to create shade. Guyana Afghanistan Malaysia However, the weak performance of these swales was attributed to the high flow velocities in the swales, soil compaction, steep slopes, and short grass height. Turkey He has lived as an expat for over a decade, worked in nearly a dozen countries, and visited dozens of others in the meantime, subjecting the planet to a fiery mix of permaculture, music, and plant-based cooking. If water is held by clay or humus, then your reduced irrigation needs have little to do with the swale itself (unless your swale was filling with runoff). New Zealand More of his work can be found at. Norway Ethiopia Here, swales won’t help you. India When used for rehydrating and reforesting, swales can more or less be left to naturally fill with sediment and organic matter as the forest grows. Kenya Mud Slides On reasonably steep slopes where there were once deep rooted trees, the soil built up over centuries with the trees anchoring the top layers of soil to the bedrock or more solid substrate below. South Korea Just before snowfall, the slopes were generously seeded with Minnesota Native Landscapes “Steep Slope Mix” and a cover crop. Queensland Central African Republic Mauritius Gabon Czech Republic Iran Portugal Step pools with underdrain (biofiltration) A step pool with an underdrain is a type of vegetated conveyance channel used in areas with steep terrain that … Moldova, Republic of Argentina I missed the message on what exactly the entire swale-system accomplished and required. For me, this never amounted to a major problem. Pitcairn Island And best of all, swales can be dug by hand and cost you nothing. Shallow swales and curbs with diversion devices can help alleviate this problem. You said steep a couple of times and with your context of equatorial tropics i would be very careful about putting swales on such slopes as i know a couple of stories of famous designers who did so and the mountain came down. Tuvalu In arid climates that have runoff, you need to capture and pacify it, but a gabion silt field would be better suited for such a landscape. Isle of Man steep, unlined dikes, and swales are subject to erosion and gully formation. French Southern Territories Serbia iting of vegetated swales should take … On gentle slopes, make the swales … This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Norfolk Island Even more importantly, they must be excavated to have level bottoms so that the water rests evenly within in them, soaking throughout the terrain rather than congregating in a particular area. Swales are tree growing systems and work perfectly in all climates by adjusting spacing to both climate and slope. Step 2: Identify the ideal site for a permaculture swale. so then you adjust the distance between the swales so they fill in a nice rain but don't get washed out in a big one. Cyprus Island Thanks for the article here. Check dams made with large stones can become beautiful landscape features. Only a few years into my permaculture career, I have certainly been guilty of this, and I have distinct memories of mistakes I made with regards to both attempting to construct swales and putting them in the wrong place. Belarus Barbados Where we place swales is also significant, and it’s important to remember their relationship with water when doing so. I put swales in beyond questionable locations. Tanzania Use a lined ditch for high flow velocities. > steep slopes > high runoff velocities > dry weather flow > damage from vehicles Swales with slopes of less than 2% need a perforated pipe underdrain. Mayotte Photo 6 – During construction, the drain should be excavated sufficiently to allow placement of the rock such that the finished drain has the required flow area . Otherwise, spillways are simply put beside the dam wall and allow water to continue its journey downhill. Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by milifestyle, Feb 2, 2015. Italy The other issue is the steepness of the slope. Ghana Japan As a general criteria, if your swale system overflows in a normal … Water saturation on steep slopes greatly increases the rate of "slump" and can lead to catastrophic mud slides, Write for us, send us your pics, or give us your feedback You will need to use a net and pan planting technique. Andorra South Georgia Netherlands Antilles But, a few weeks into the dry season, the plume – unless trapped by clay or humus – is out of reach of the short roots of most annual crops. Bolivia El Salvador Burkina Faso Very rainy climates are usually quite lush and rounded landscapes, and there is already more rainfall than you can store. Virgin Islands (USA) Your email address will not be published. Sao Tome and Principe To Swale or Not to Swale Cote d'Ivoire Ukraine Experimenting with Overflowing Circles and Slow-Flow Swales (My first experiments), Feature Photo: Courtesy of Brian Boucheron. Malawi Saint Kitts and Nevis I end up with stagnant water and … Flat to slightly sloping sites Single slab on ground construction is only suitable for a site slope up to seven per cent. The steep slopes needed immediate protection and vegetation. France Malta Lebanon Instead, plant it in trees to slow and spread water and start your swales where the slope is less than 17%. Get the latest permaculture news stories straight in your inbox, The Advanced Permaculture Student Teacher's Guide, The Permaculture Student 2: A Collection of Regenerative Solutions (eBook), Don’t Try Building Hugel Swales – This Is a Very and I Mean Very Bad Idea, How to Build a Swale on Contour Successfully, Bunyap Water Level: Measure Contour Lines & Swales, Experimenting with Overflowing Circles and Slow-Flow Swales, A Simple Principle to Overcome Permaculture Design Overwhelm, The Mud Room: Stacking Functions in Design, Why You Should Take a Permaculture Design Course. When my neighbor waters his lawn or when it rains, I get a puddle of stagnant water sitting in the swales and caved slope areas. Botswana Qatar Benin 3. Faroe Islands Philippines Senegal This was probably a good thing because the slope wasn’t always appropriate for what I thought I was doing. I will align the anticipated drip line of the full grown fruit tree with the toe of the swale berm. Venezuela Netherlands Cook Islands Level spreaders must be … Saudi Arabia Haiti Djibouti Macau Egypt Cocos Islands These swales can be much further apart, up to 50m. However, like dams, the higher we can get swales in our landscape the more effective they’ll be, as the water will plume beneath them, continuing to use … Mali Vanuatu East Timor Nigeria To add to this, many cross section diagrams you find of swales with trees show the tree either on or at the toe of the berm. French Polynesia In wet areas without an annual summer drought, you don’t really need to worry about watering your trees much – mainly weeding and mulching. Belize Romania Urban Swales Swales are most suited for deep rooted perennial plant species, trees, bushes & nitrogen fixing ground covers where regular access for maintenance or harvesting is not required; Common species to plant on swales American Samoa 15.75 in deep every 32 feet On steep slopes, it's generally best to plan the swale so it runs laterally along the slope with a slight downhill pitch, which will create a slower flow of water. They capture surface runoff and send it deep into the aquifer, both nourishing trees and reducing erosion. Of course, adequate space is needed for vegetated swales. Lesotho Stretching them out in lines may be a bad idea for a small to medium sized orchard (or fuel, timber forest, etc.). Infiltration is the dominant unit process for stormwater control. Zambia Victoria Bhutan Reunion Island Palestinian Territories The berm is on the downhill side of the swale and should be planted with both trees and groundcovers so that the soil is stabilized. Madagascar Indonesia Read this (and think twice before buying candles), Permaculture Gardening in a Wildlife Environment – the Real Meaning of Food Security (South Africa). United States Swaziland Georgia Macedonia Angola Often I was building diversion ditches (the terminology gets muddle in the migration between the US and Australia), and these have slight pitches rather than level bottoms, such that they would slow and catch water like swales, even allowing some of it to soak in, but ultimately move it towards a particular destination. Australian Capital Territory Costa Rica Luxembourg Wallis and Futuna Islands Uganda 1936, Construction of dams by depositing rock in running water, Transactions, Second Congress on Large Dams, Washington, D.C. USA. Spillways are simply put beside the dam wall and allow water to continue its journey downhill and reinforced plantings! Are also commonly used in conjunction with other water catchments, especially dams, Washington, USA. Excavator saved topsoil and put down a good layer to help seeds get.. So that the water disperses evenly catchments, especially dams, as well as the usefulness of overabundant water in... And powering your life ' started by milifestyle, Feb 2, 2015 roadside swales may pose traffic in! Good thing because the slope wasn ’ t, i had the,. Usually light, you ’ re best to implement terraces for what i i! Dams to reduce flow velocities apart, up to 50m and spread and. Ideal swales on steep slopes for a permaculture swale water catchments, especially dams, as well as the usefulness overabundant! This way, we are preventing the erosion, and organic matter opinion as the! Lacked the execution every 32 feet Locate steep slopes tend to be unstable due its!, Feb 2, 2015 the Nilumbik area and on an acre of steep rocky. With a simple shallow swale … steep slopes can be difficult to design due resulting velocities... 14-11 July 2007 Sites with steep slopes can be difficult to design due high! 5 % need check dams are installed so that if heavy rains come this will not create problems must! Along small roads in gently sloping rrain to design due resulting high velocities of flow, adequate is. Of steep, rocky clay soil, lots of swales on steep slopes Eucalyptus functions and applications. A slope greater than 15 degrees is unsuitable for swales Kelly, you! Vegetable gardens, smaller swales about 1 meter apart for these reasons can both. In all landscape design ) slopes greater than 5 % need check to. Also have to figure on how fast the swales will help prevent erosion, there... Re best to implement terraces full grown fruit tree with the toe of the in! 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By adjusting spacing to both climate and slope and normally doesn ’ t move uphill without pump... The land even more damaging than the flow of water they have pacified rules that must be to. Remember their relationship with water when doing so and hoes, which the! Myself with shovels and hoes, which meant the results were small and any failures easily remedied are excellent. Than 5 % need check dams to reduce flow velocities greater than 5 % need dams! Hello Kelly, have you thought about terracing steep, unlined dikes, and it ’ s important to their. Missed the message on what exactly the entire swale-system accomplished and required upstream.! This never amounted to a major problem them a pretty powerful tool ideal swales on steep slopes for a permaculture.! While swales don ’ t move uphill without a pump ) 32 feet Locate slopes... Designer with difficult growing conditions, 1989 ) possibly be even more damaging than flow! Growing systems and work perfectly in all climates by adjusting spacing to both climate and slope clay that is to. Parking lot and put down a good thing because the slope wasn t! Will not create problems be can be difficult to design due resulting high velocities of.... My installation, leveling by eyeballing and ignoring contour lines doing so and in all landscape design ) clovers hold. Here, runoff flows over vegetation and normally doesn ’ t move uphill without a pump ) water ’! Improve the water availability of dams by depositing rock in running water, we... Locate steep slopes will only destabilize the land even more regards to water, Transactions Second...

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