Swales Can Boost Water Collection: The Ultimate Farming Solution!

[@stevenstillwell-NC]

I have used a swale about midway down the slope of my land, benefits are amazing. Had not considered a second swale line further down the slope, but will be working it into the infrastructure after seeing this video. Really liked the collecting/holding pond with the pipe to alter the water level. I see new discussions with my water authority coming up; the first swale, put in years ago, resulted in their claim I was stealing their water - to which I counter claimed that it was they that were stealing the water from my land and that all I was doing was slowing it down so it could be absorbed into the aquifer. The arbitrator pointed out to the water authority that I was actually helping keep the other source of their water, the wells they used, from going dry each season. We all learned. We all keep learning. We have to in order to survive.

[@kentvandervelden]

Very interesting and positive comment

[@jcjensenllc]

Water thieves. lol. Why are so many farmers so phucking ignorant.

[@tangobayus]

Also consider off-contour swales that drain into each other. Start high in the watershed.

[@stevenstillwell-NC]

@@jcjensenllc it isn't the farmers that are ignorant, it is the various governmental units "overseeing" the water usage that are ignorant of how water moves through the environment. Even if held in a pond, it still will eventually move further down stream, if you will.

[@stevenstillwell-NC]

@@tangobayus I like that idea even more than diverting water from a swale into a pond. This would slow the water flow down the slope even further, allowing even more water to make it into the aquifer than just running down stream.

[@manishbachkaniwala]

This is being done in India in Maharashtra and they hold a competition called Water Cup , to aggressively promote this . They have collected a lot of water by this method . You can check website of Paani foundation , India .

[@ollievw3450]

Paani is the bomb, extremely inspiring. I have been looking to adapt their practices for use in Sotuh Africa.

[@k0mm4nd3r_k3n]

Everyone who participates in the Paani cup is an absolute legend. I'm a South African by birth, but I'm finding swales so useful here in Australia.

[@ollievw3450]

@@k0mm4nd3r_k3n Is it, did you move to Australia permanently?

[@SimpleTanks]

Nice buds in the background!

[@alexkoelsche98]

Do you think he knows what he was filming in front of??

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Alex Koelsche Yes, it’s his crop recently.

[@plantecsmiths1622]

@@alexkoelsche98 legal to grow some plants in b.c.

[@sadie1150]

I was about to say! haha

[@Dubs.C.]

Another relevant topic! Just spent the past 3 weeks reading about this and water retention/runoff ponds. Debating on where to go... thanks. This was very beneficial.

[@qualqui]

Swales, there was a British guy doing this in Israel, so with Israel's semi-arid to arid climate vs. Canada's northern clime, this is possible anywhere! I'm wondering if this is the technique of water harvesting that our municipal gov't. here in Mexico is using to take advantage of the summer rains, because one of the wells has been shut and will remain shut for 100 or 200 years. Totally worth checking out their website Curtis and also joining fromthefield! :)

[@manishbachkaniwala]

Where is the website ?

[@qualqui]

@@manishbachkaniwala I don't know if they have a website, but check here on KZbin, maybe type in 'Swales in Israel/Mideast' and something will come up.

[@TheUserid82]

If they want to recharge the ground water the setup in India would be better as they have them setup to maximize soaking space. Israel is setting up with the right spacing for trees to be planted as they want to forest the area with recharging the ground water as a secondary. The good news is both setups increase grazing land even if the hills used can never be effectively farmed as cows, sheep and goats can go on some insane hills.

[@qualqui]

@@TheUserid82 After reading your comment, I'm now definitely sure that our State Gov't. is doing this technique, there was a shortage of water back in the 80s to mid-90s, many of the poorest had steel drums that the city water authority would fill up, each home had 2 drums average with bigger families having up to 5 or 6, well late 90s they developed an acueduct to pipe water in from the Sierra Gorda(an arm of the Sierra Madre Oriental), but the water problem wasn't solved with that, they're harvesting the rainwater during the summer months to complement both urban and industrial needs for water. And besides the State Gov't. is giving trees out, mostly varieties that are drought resistant but also luxurious tree species like the Ficus, which develop huge taproots deep into the earth, hopefully sooner than later this semi-arid landscape which is predominate Prickly Pear, other cacti species as well as the Huizache(Mesquite)will also have some Piru de la India(Peru), Common Ash to name a couple. btw Sycamore trees which I thought would only do well in temperate zones(eastern US)also do well here.

[@dylankelley2114]

Killin it man!! Keep up the videos!

[@andytuesday500]

Dude I really enjoy your content. 🔥❤️🙏

[@thisneurodiverselife]

I haven't thought about a swale feeding a dam, then the dam feeding the swale. I wonder if i can incorporate that in my food Forrest.

[@kevingeorge5159]

sepp holtzer is so prolific, it is crazy!

[@silverrose7554]

Thank you I enjoy your adventures and I live in an apartment.

[@wizz33a18]

aka the lessons learned by Viktor Schauberger the Water wizard. The books about him a very good

[@moosa9850]

Love your tomato plants bud 😉

[@klalthazuala7458]

Only legend knows

[@Xatruch504]

😁😁

[@ericwanderweg8525]

Nice hooch in the background at the beginning 😂

[@thesilence6543]

geoff lawton would approve

[@IRLiAm]

Can swales be useful for turning very wet land (during the winter/autumn months), to be drier and suitable for animals to graze over the winter?

[@FeelingShred]

3:00 the camera movement is smooth, but the clouds' shadows look like they're "skipping" bits of movement? weird

[@icwiz]

yeah i just commented on that too. so weird.

[@icwiz]

maybe they aren’t shadows of clouds, but compression artifacts

[@fynngilbert281]

Hi, could you send me the address of the farm? I would be interested in looking at google earth images to track the rehydration of the property and surrounding landscape

[@pedro97w]

Bless you for being smart

[@icwiz]

2:57 How are the shadows of the clouds moving in a stutter, while the video is playing smoothly? Thats so weird.

[@dafidyao]

Hahahaha do you think he was flying with a camera in his hand ? Have you heard of video editing ?

[@icwiz]

@@dafidyao wow. you completely missed my point. Maybe try to read and look at what someone is saying before responding.

[@stiaininbeglan3844]

No, the footage itself isn't smooth. A frame or two at a time were removed.

[@sebbes333]

*Video starts at: **1:27*

[@joshsimpson10]

Does ABC acres do this in Montana I believe?

[@molinobeer]

You have a huge river right beside your property, the ground water recharging from it would be a million times more than your swalles. Also dont think you would have much runoff with that kind of ground cover, to have the need to slow down the water. Don't think there is any benefit on having a swalle there.

[@yukey2587]

Takota rocks!

[@stiaininbeglan3844]

Alberta! 😊

[@TheWizardGamez]

Alberta Canada's Texas

[@kanddfamilyfarm]

Swales have a tendency to be misused a lot. Not all climates and hillsides are suited. Ideally they'd be used in conjunction with a keyline plough.

[@kentvandervelden]

Do you think his approach of basing placements of swales on old topographic maps, suggesting water flow pre modern ag, helps avoid misuse?

[@kanddfamilyfarm]

@@kentvandervelden I like it. Also they're applying them to relatively flat land too which is better suited in my opinion to swales.

[@prostozpola7827]

Świetne, dzięki.

[@aussiegypsy6273]

Look at the surrounding plants.. lol

[@brandonfoy9583]

Swake? You mean swale?

[@48wilber]

Swale= shallow ditch to drain water... 2 second defiinition......