Swale is full!

With our recent rains here in Arkansas, I managed to get some video of the food forest swale filling up.

[@j.verheulst268]

Would it be an idea to have that road runoff empty out into that first built, bottom swale? An elongated bump in the road with its highest point next to the end point of that hook that you built in the swale mount so the road can empty straigh into that swale. So that your bottom swale stays filling up even after you built several more swales higher up that slope?

[@tacticalhomesteader]

+J. Verheulst Yes, this is a great idea but I don't want to implement until I have the upper swales in place. With the lone swale right now, I'd be afraid of catching too much of the water in the bottom swale from the pasture above and not having enough spillway for the overflow. Later when the upper swales are in place, most of what is coming down that drive should be excess from the edges or overflow, and won't be as concerning to catch. Thanks for the input.

[@LolitasGarden]

Contour can be so deceiving through video. That thing looks like it rolls downhill into the woods, but the water says it's dead on contour.

[@tacticalhomesteader]

+Lolita's Garden It's deceiving in person too. The first time my wife walked out and saw where I had the flags she didn't think it was going to work. I used the laser level, over and over again, even moving the base unit to spots above and below the swale to make sure. Worked out though... :)

[@LolitasGarden]

+The Tactical Homesteader Dang right it worked out. I'll subscribe, you post follow-ups, okay?

[@tacticalhomesteader]

Deal. I'll be planting into this in the next couple of weeks and later this spring/summer will be adding additional swales above it.