Ponds and earthworks are part of large scale waterworks design and installations that aim to utilize your precious water resources to re-hydrate the soil and store water high up on the land.  Swales, ponds, ram-pumps and key line planning are a few of the tools we can use to keep water on the land by slowing, sinking, spreading and storing all the moisture that falls on your property.

Large scale water harvesting systems like these pictures from Tamara community aim to capture all the water that lands on the property and recharge the ground water. www.tamera.org/what-is-tamera/infrastructure/

Swale construction

We can also use earthworks like swales to capture and slow water to sink it into the soil and provide water for food forests and gardens. These pictures are from Casitas Valley Farm in southern California. These swales provide capacity to hold tens of thousands of gallons of water that would have quickly gone into the creek and out to the ocean.

The video shows what happens during a storm event when the swales fill up. The capacity of this system was calculated at 78,000 gallons of water storage.

Ponds and earthworks can help create a comprehensive strategy to keep surface water from running off your property by slowing it, spreading it out and sinking the water into the soil zone. Water is essential for life, so it is one of the elements to seriously plan for your farm or homestead.

Call us for a consultation today! 541-488-0248