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Show OVERDUE TIMES - OCTOBER 15, 1997 - 5 The level course of the swale can be determined with a Harvesting Water Runoff With the projected winter rains resulting from El Nifio promising to bring us headaches or worse, I want to pass on a simple suggestion for prevention which can help lessen run—off problems around your property and on our town roads. This idea came from my readings about Permaculture (a way of living in a benign yet productive way on the land) bunyip (a level made of two yardsticks and a piece of transparent tubing partially filled with water) or an eye level. It takes two people working together to mark the course. Though the banks of the swale must be on the level, the base can be uneven, creating hospitable pockets. If existing bushes, trees, or plants are on the contour line, the swale can be continued on the other side of them. In time the swale will fill with natural mulches, originated by an Australian named Bill Mollison. Since windblown seeds, and new growth to store available water discovering this theory of paying attention to what happens naturally and expanding on it, I find that whateva try really pays off. The challenge of managing water in dryland areas is to happens, you can either use the accumulated matter as keep the rain where it falls, ON OUR PROPERTY, to diverse growth where you had only dry dirt before, perhaps capture it and hold it (or at least slow the runoff) so it will the beginnings of a terrace. You will be doing your bit toward groundwater recharge. This description is sketchy. If you want more complete seep into the land, helping things grow instead of washing them away. One way is through swaling. Swales can't hurt, are simple to do, and don't have to cost much more than much more efficiently than a naked swale. When that mulch orjust create another swale at a distance and the process begins again, except now you have a strip of information on the techniques, I have all sorts of reading materials to offer—books, articles with illustrations, and a time. They're working all over the world to reclaim water damaged land. A swale is a shallow, broad trench (or series of trenches) cut along a line of equal elevation known as a contour line. The width and depth will vary with the terrain and the slope. The dirt scooped out to form the trench is spread along the downslope edge of the swale, increasing the catchment. The purpose is to first pool then absorb all surplus water flow. As water seeps or runs down an incline during a storm, it is held in the depressions. It's important to mulch, seed, and/or plant seedlings along the lower edge of a new swale, so the soil will eventually be shaded by a natural covering to hold the water, keep it from evaporating or concentrating salts, and put it to use. Trees are essential components of swale planting systems and provide future windbreaks or wildlife habitat or both. Most important is that the water doesn't GO Permaculture video called "In Grave Danger of Falling Food." There are many other useful ideas you might want to try. —Cris Coffey, 259-2245 FRANK SILVEY PAPERS: Prior to 1898 we had no so—called cloudbursts, but only heavy rains. The vegetation we had in those days, held the water back so that it generally reached the main washes with little damage. The Colorado River those davs. with the exception of the May and June run-off, was as clear as a mountain stream. anyplace; a swale isn't meant to route the water elsewhere. SAVE TIME SAVE MONEY SAVE WATER _ WITH A DRIP SYSTEM FROM INSTALLATION AVAILABLE FREE DESIGN 275 WILLIAMS WAY 259-8274 FREE DELIVERY CANYON NURSERY |