You can also move water slowly from wetter areas to drier area via using a method that Mark Shepard uses where it's a plow that just incises a deep, narrow cut in the earth that allows water to drain at a 1% slope from a wet inner fold the landscape to a drier outer fold in the landscape. It's an adaptation of what they do in Australia, but uses cheaper equipment and accomplishes the same effect. Mark Shepard wrote a book on it detailing key info.
Great practical tips! Simple and effective. This inspires me to get out there and have a go with the shovel, I was procrastinating, thinking I can't do anything without an earthmover.
Thanks Sean, I appreciate you addressing this! We have all 3 types of areas/concerns on our homestead, including a gravel shop floor that is wetter than the driveway just 20' away. Definitely need to divert & better manage the water in that area. (I'm so glad I did NOT pour a concrete floor there last fall when we bought the place, because I now know there's a lot to fix before we even think about a slab going in there!)
Often the driveway is a conduit of water as it is hard and has poor permeability, even if just gravel. Putting a drainage system in that goes crossways across the driveway can disrupt that flow. Otherwise look around at the other terrain that may be higher.
I think you are probably ok with storing water on a slope as long as you go slow and work from the bottom up. That is essentially what a terrace does, and many cultures have accomplished that successfully, as well as individuals like sepp holzer. Greetings from the sandpoint area, loving the content.
@@ThePreparedHomestead thanks. We're sort of right on that line. Some areas are definitely steeper, but there are also natural terraces. I think my goal is to just use those terraces and manage who excess water moves through them. We *definitely* have excess water, as much as 100" per year, but nothing from May through August, maybe longer. Something like swales at the edge of the terraces, or grade the terraces back, so the water lingers on each one for a bit, and then rock lined spillways to the next layer.
30% grade is the "breakpoint." Also small, frequent and shallow reduces points of failure. Moving water from wetter areas laterally to drier areas can help reduce dryness in the landscape and perhaps reduce the chance of slumping. A one percent grade for drainage has fewer problems with blowout etc than steeper ones. In Australia they use a yeoman's plow to move water with minimal landscape damage, but that version is expensive, Mark Shepard has found a cheaper variation but the name escapes me for now.
I’m thinking about buying 80 acres, 60 acres of it is really nice timber land and the other 20 is covered in gullies, piles of junk and brush, If I buy it I’m gonna take my tractor and push the junk into the bottom of the 5-10ft gullies then bring in a dozer and push the brush and cedar trees over on top of the junk to finish filling up the gullies, then build my house where all the cedar trees were before. That should slow down the erosion and clean the place up nicely.
Just piling stuff into gullies may just create more problems downstream. Its important to start where the gulleys are shallow and create frequent, small structures to reduce chance of catastrophic failures and liabilities. Look up Brad Lancaster for additional advice.
first we start with some of my face......a quick cut away; then back to my face, after that; some more face and then; the thing that everyone has been waiting for... there's more of my face, then some more of my face and then we'll finish with a shot of my face. Another perfect video in the can; see you next time guys!
You can also move water slowly from wetter areas to drier area via using a method that Mark Shepard uses where it's a plow that just incises a deep, narrow cut in the earth that allows water to drain at a 1% slope from a wet inner fold the landscape to a drier outer fold in the landscape.
It's an adaptation of what they do in Australia, but uses cheaper equipment and accomplishes the same effect. Mark Shepard wrote a book on it detailing key info.
Great practical tips! Simple and effective. This inspires me to get out there and have a go with the shovel, I was procrastinating, thinking I can't do anything without an earthmover.
Thanks AniishAu, glad it was helpful!
Well done. Great information! I have a farm project this summer that is a perfect candidate for techniques like these.
Love the hat! 😂
Thanks Sean, I appreciate you addressing this!
We have all 3 types of areas/concerns on our homestead, including a gravel shop floor that is wetter than the driveway just 20' away. Definitely need to divert & better manage the water in that area. (I'm so glad I did NOT pour a concrete floor there last fall when we bought the place, because I now know there's a lot to fix before we even think about a slab going in there!)
Can you talk/show more about how the swales work, and how to set them up for successful operation?
Can you install a French drain or drainage ditch water away from the shop?
Often the driveway is a conduit of water as it is hard and has poor permeability, even if just gravel. Putting a drainage system in that goes crossways across the driveway can disrupt that flow. Otherwise look around at the other terrain that may be higher.
Have you built any wire-cage gabion check dams?
No, not with wire cages.
I think you are probably ok with storing water on a slope as long as you go slow and work from the bottom up. That is essentially what a terrace does, and many cultures have accomplished that successfully, as well as individuals like sepp holzer. Greetings from the sandpoint area, loving the content.
Thanks Michael!
How steep is too steep? This is the perennial question.
A lot of people will use 40% grade as a rule of thumb.
@@ThePreparedHomestead thanks. We're sort of right on that line. Some areas are definitely steeper, but there are also natural terraces. I think my goal is to just use those terraces and manage who excess water moves through them. We *definitely* have excess water, as much as 100" per year, but nothing from May through August, maybe longer. Something like swales at the edge of the terraces, or grade the terraces back, so the water lingers on each one for a bit, and then rock lined spillways to the next layer.
30% grade is the "breakpoint." Also small, frequent and shallow reduces points of failure.
Moving water from wetter areas laterally to drier areas can help reduce dryness in the landscape and perhaps reduce the chance of slumping.
A one percent grade for drainage has fewer problems with blowout etc than steeper ones.
In Australia they use a yeoman's plow to move water with minimal landscape damage, but that version is expensive, Mark Shepard has found a cheaper variation but the name escapes me for now.
I’m thinking about buying 80 acres, 60 acres of it is really nice timber land and the other 20 is covered in gullies, piles of junk and brush, If I buy it I’m gonna take my tractor and push the junk into the bottom of the 5-10ft gullies then bring in a dozer and push the brush and cedar trees over on top of the junk to finish filling up the gullies, then build my house where all the cedar trees were before. That should slow down the erosion and clean the place up nicely.
All of that organic matter pushed into the gullies will really help with erosion and keeping more moisture on the property. Good plan!
Just piling stuff into gullies may just create more problems downstream. Its important to start where the gulleys are shallow and create frequent, small structures to reduce chance of catastrophic failures and liabilities.
Look up Brad Lancaster for additional advice.
Sounds like burying trash to me. Something I consider taboo. How would you feel if you start to prepare and area and find a bunch of buried trash?
Right on man 😎
slow, spread and store...
first we start with some of my face......a quick cut away; then back to my face, after that; some more face and then; the thing that everyone has been waiting for... there's more of my face, then some more of my face and then we'll finish with a shot of my face.
Another perfect video in the can; see you next time guys!