The First Rainwater - New Desert Homestead Catchment

Are you thinking about harvesting rainwater into a simple, effective dam to water your plants and animals? Perhaps establishing an ecosystem in a dry zone, or greening the desert? It's better to say "we got every drop", when it rains and you get to keep the water in the soil. Fixing our deserts will start with retention.
Disclaimer:
First, we're not experts, but forever scholars. I hope this helps you with some ideas. What we do is to find out about local laws, plan the best we can with the information at hand, and use whatever is available in terms of machines (not always an option). Plan - research - simplify!
We have a well, and a spring, but harvesting valuable, clean rainwater and storing it is still necessary.
By slowing down water flow, we avoid topsoil erosion and nutrient leaching, as well. A very simple and cost effective dam, miniscule by usual farm standards, can thousands of litres of water that can keep plants, animals and even us humans (if purified) alive. Done legally and safely, this can be a lifesaver.
This video is all about that first water, how much we go and from how little rain. There's hope for the future rains.
I hope that you too, are harvesting rain and collecting water in the right way. Water is valuable, and finite.
Channel and Patreon embers get benefits and help this channel live on.
/ simple_earth
#simpleearth #selfsufficiency #homestead #rainwater

[@davidfoster9805]

We should be doing this in the Western United States. Every dry wash, gully and dry riverbed should be made to slow the water down so it can sink in. It would minimize flash floods and put water back into the water table. You guys are just smarter than we are. Good Job!!!!

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

I learnt a lot from your side of the pond, too. 🤠 The worldwide use and conservation of water should definitely change. I can tell you, here I also see pivots Sucking out hundreds of thousands of litres of water to irrigate monocrops in areas with water scarcity. 😖

[@mikemotorbike4283]

Everyone in the Midwest USA knows water comes from soda fountain machines, duh. The time to swale for the Midwest is...yesterday. I don't think its ignorance that explains the dire neglect of water resources. It's possibly an attitude of "let it be someone else's problem; we will sell and make a profit before it gets too bad, and then brag about selling high and buying low. We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time."

[@ThatOneGuyWithTheEye]

You do realize if you stop or drastically reduce the fresh water that gets reintegrated back into the oceans they will steadily become saltier until they are unhabitable by sea life

[@davidfoster9805]

@@ThatOneGuyWithTheEye You do realize that even ground water eventually finds its way back into the ocean. If not, the whole planet would have died several ions ago. So, let's not alter anything we do and slowly kill it with kindness.

[@spenceradams7041]

@@ThatOneGuyWithTheEye Only 2.5% of Earth’s water is freshwater, and ocean life got along just fine before humankind started SHRINKING freshwater (groundwater) reserves in arid regions.

[@rickkern5785]

Repeat this video in a year and 5 years to show the changes this pond makes in the surrounding area. Awesome start.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thank you Rick, for the visit and comment. I think a follow up ideo would be great. Will definitely start doing those from 2024 to see how and if things made sufficient progress.

[@snapon666]

set up a game camera and watch how quick the local wildlife use it

[@Regeneal]

Not enough people know the joy of catching rain.

[@bonnieprice9482]

Cicterns were common ..then it became illigal as forced indoor water became popular..

[@wadeinskeep4866]

People knew to do this but the government finds it more difficult to tax....

[@alanhall6909]

I have a very small lot in a Southern California suburb. The soil is hard clay. I wanted to grow a lot of tropical fruit trees, but they require good soil drainage. Impossible normally with this soil. So I dug out most of the back yard to about 3' and got rid of it, many many truck loads of clay. I laid out a channel 50' long in an "S" shape and about 6' wide and lined it with concrete block retainer walls. Then I filled in the rest of the yard with amended soil: some of the clay and a lot of beach sand mixed with compost and peat moss. I planted dozens of fruit trees on both sides of the channel. I dug out a 6' deep by 3' wide hole under each tree to ensure good drainage for the roots. These fill full of water up to 3' deep and then the excess spills out into the channel. Also, all the rain water from my roof is drained into the channel as well. It holds 3,000 gallons of water when full. After the rain has ended and the soil drys out, the water retained in the channel penetrates into the soil on either side, watering the trees. This is important because our City water supply comes from the Colorado river and is very salty. Other than the occasional rain, most of the water for the trees comes from City water. Combined with the normally poorly draining clay soil, evaporation of City water causes a heavy buildup of salt in the soil. My micro reservoir system uses captured rain water to flush out the salt and keep the trees hydrated for weeks after it rains. Later, I also dug out a few 6' deep by 3' wide pits in the channel and filled them with sand and gravel. These provide some additional water absorption so that the channel doesn't fill up as quickly when it rains and deep hydrates the soil with excess water instead of it just running off into the City storm drains. These deep pits are where the excess salt flows to. Now I capture nearly 100% of rain water from my property. I decorated the channel with river rock (small boulders and pebbles, to make it look like a dry creek bed. It is full of water tolerant plants that won't drown when submerged for weeks.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Wow. That is a great project, and inspiring. Not only is this great for your trees, but you're probably doing the area around your lot a huge favour as well. Well done.

[@saldo3873]

is en Fortschritt, nach 1000 Jahren drauf kommen, ein Erdwall könnt Wasser speichern - sowas tolles - unglaublich.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

It took so long for me to get a chance to build something useful to everyone, with a basic material such as earth. Hehehe :)

[@thatguychris5654]

I love these kinds of projects. Suggestion for next step, plant fast growing plants that will shade the water and slow evaporation loss. The local wildlife will love the oasis you've created 👍

[@YourFrienjamin]

The roots will also prevent erosion. Spiky grasses tend to have good roots for the task.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Will remember this. Keep an eye out for the next viddy. 😖

[@lamdao1242]

I love your idea of fast growing plants here. I wonder if they can also be fast growing NATIVE plants!

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

I think so. Native seeds are harder to harvest but it's ideal. Working in a plan. Thank you for comment! 😉

[@ALittleBitOfEverything-wd9ee]

I think that Australia has some native acacia species that even produce edible seeds

[@BowenOrg]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE GLOBALLY NEEDS TO BE DOING THIS IMMEDIATELY.... AND IT WOULD HELP REFILL OUR AQUIFERS AND HELP MILLIONS OR EVEN BILLIONS TO SURVIVE.... INCLUDING THE ANIMALS!!! SPREAD THE WORD EVERYONE.... "CATCH" YOUR WATER AND MIRACLES WILL HAPPEN! THAT'S WHY GOD GAVE US THE "WATER CYCLES!!!" Amen Retired, Veteran

[@Skwarek-wp8dc]

Water is OURS not corrupt gvmts ...

[@freudsigmund72]

Wherever I go on holiday, regardless of the time of year, I always bring rain. The first time I travelled to South Africa, when visiting the Karoo, the town where I stayed hadn't had any rain for nearly 2 years... that night the heavens opened up. It surely was memorable.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

You should advertise! There's places here in California that would put you up and feed you as many tacos as you could stand if you could bring the rain.

[@actualangel5133]

Rain man… 👍👍👍

[@bonnieprice9482]

My dad said the same when ever he traveled to wyoming from idaho 😮😂❤

[@chrisackerley1842]

Thanks for a great video. I can use this technique at my home in the Sonoran Desert of Western Arizona [USA]. Along the same lines, be sure to build a cistern to collect water that runs off the roofs of your buildings. A 15' x 20' roof [@ 4.5 x 6 m] will collect hundreds of liters of water in even a moderately wet year. Another thing: If I hadn't heard your accent, I would have thought this video was shot in the Chihuahuan Desert region of Southeastern Arizona. The topography and vegitation appears almost identical. Daytime temperatures in the Chihuahuan range from 47 C on a really hot June day in the lower elevations to 0 C on a really cold January day. Where I live, in the lower Sonoran Desert, daytime temperatures have been known to reach 53 C in the hottest part of the Summer but it rarely drops below 3 C, even in the coldest Winters. Rainfall averages 8" [@ 20 cm] per year where I'm at, but the drier parts of the Sonoran have been known to go as long as 20 years without rain. The biggest problem we face is groundwater depletion caused by pumping for agriculture. Surface vegitation is dying in some places as a result. In light of that unpleasant reality, your video is particularly timely. Thanks again.

[@estebancorral5151]

I thought the same thing. I saw another video in Spanish about two guy s who went back to their ancestral property in the Chihuahua. They they made a two kilometer swale at the base of their mountain with a bull dozer. Within a few days of working, they had to stop because they were caught in a flash thunderstorm. It worked.

[@malcolmrose3361]

I live in Southern Spain and have collected the rainwater from the roof. I installed gutters that lead the rainwater to 1 cubic metre plastic containers (Intermediate Bulk Container) normally used here by farmers for weedkiller or liquid manure (obviously the manure is best because cleaning the containers inside is a real bugger, and with the liquid manure you get a 100 litres or so of manure sediment for free). I buy damaged ones (the metal frames tend to get a bit banged up) for €25-40. The first one has the direct connection from the guttering into the tank, and then from that tank I can selectively feed the water into the lower tanks via 40mm irrigation pipe and a series of taps. Because each of the tanks is covered evaporation is minimised. I've fitted taps to each tank so I can draw water for the garden in the Summer. There's an overflow from the first tank that runs to the hill below the house where there is a terrace. I've only done that part of the roof so far (it is an old house with additions and multiple rooves) that is most convenient. So far I've got five of the IBCs connected (5,000 litres of water) and they filled last winter which was a dry one. So there's lots of capacity to go - it's just a question of where to put the tanks.

[@SG-js2qn]

People forget that the eastern US and much of the EU used to be swamps. Malaria used to be a big problem too. They turned the swamps into usable forests and meadows through careful hand labor, draining the swamps, creating streams. A very similar thing can be done for the desert in places.

[@LureThosePixels]

Some small check dams before the main one can help reduce speed of water flowing in, and also the sediment coming down - can be made of rocks or logs etc

[@LureThosePixels]

Obviously only if those two things are an issue. Will also help absorb the water in to the landscape and make for more nourished watercourses

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Love that idea. Keeps silt collection at bay. Going to earmark that for research. Thanks!

[@LureThosePixels]

@@SimpleEarthSelfReliance no problem! Keen to see more videos and your progress :-)

[@laserflexr6321]

Spread the water out to slow it down. Think wide and shallow to deposit sediment in a wide fan as opposed to deep and narrow where it will cut out sediment. Correct the worst places where it is narrow and deep to stop it cutting and create wide level plains where it will fill. A single big, realatively immobile rock in the middle of the flow can work wonders over time. If you spread out the flow, eventually that rock will be buried and you may need to set another nearby. Anywhere the flow is too fast, drop a rock in to disrupt the flow. Let the power of moving water do most of the work. Create a V in the middle of a stream and a U in the banks of the stream. I dont know about you but whenever I am thinking about a stream of water I always tend to think of it as facing upstream and would draw a map of that stream with the upstream side on top of the page. Viewed that way you start with a big rock in the middle of the flow, the point of that upside down V, upstream of that is the leveled out U, also upside down, where sediment drops out of the slowed flow. If you place that big rock, sediment will fill in behind it in a characteristic pattern determined by flow rate and the size of the aggreagate being moved. Take your rocks from the U upstream and put them in the center of the flow slightly downstream, two streams with one stone. Ultimately you would like to stop everything from moving but clear water, especially the lighter organic materials, that is wealth! Observe the ripple on the surface of moving water that is created by an obstruction, big clue! That angle is what you need to consider when trying to fan out to slow the water. But just to keep it simple, anywhere the flow is too fast, drop a big rock in the center of that flow and adjust it so that a little more than half the flow is toward the outside. A man named Victor Schauberger had a lot of interesting insights on flowing water. He may have been a bit eccentric about parts of it but he came up with a lot of practical solutions.

[@kabitasahoo8385]

Thank you for taking care of Mother Earth. 🙏👍

[@user-hl6et6lo3e]

Thank you for taking care of Mother Earth. . Thank you for taking care of Mother Earth. .

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

So nice of you, I think most good people that watch the videos here have a hand in taking care of the planet. :D

[@sandyvanderlinde237]

I can proudly say, I was on that farm homestead. Such amazing views and the surroundings are calm and so beautiful. Great thunder in background. I certainly agree about a food forest near your dam.

[@sidneyvandykeii3169]

We don't really have dry gullies in the Pacific NW but every new neighborhood, whether industrial or Residential has to put in water retention ponds. This mitigates the water run off from all the asphalt etc... It also allows the local aquifers to constantly refill. If the South West doesn't get its act together by building catchbasins for all the water running off the rock hard ground (basically asphalt) they are going to try stealing water from the PNW.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

That's such a good system. But as you said, if others don't adopt the same systems they'll inevitably end up looting from those who did. It's the same old story for water and food, etc. The nice thing is that those ponds will help sink and charge ground water over the long term, too. Thanks for the comment. Always nice to hear about the strategies.

[@sundancer442]

Just the sound of rain cheers me up. We just had a 50mm dump, the other day; what an exciting event !. In Australia, we can hold as much rainwater as we like, as no-one owns the rain. :)

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

This is the way! 50mm sounds great. If it comes down too quick, it's a bit of a flash flood for us, but the water is always welcome. Keep and store and sink that rain! Thanks for visiting 🤠

[@kaywatson6505]

California has officially informed it's farmers they cannot collect rain as the state (California) owns all the rain. If it made it to the international courts (Brussels?) It could be an interesting fight.

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

@@kaywatson6505 Brussels is European courts, not international. Also I thought California was going the other way (paying farmers not to farm, and instead flooding their fields) lately?

[@billyork9588]

Excellent video and sentiments. Thanks for sharing it - a great way to stop erosion and encourage wildlife and beautify the surroundings. In may places the use of many berms has been used to slow down water and allow it to seep into the soil. In India the use of vetiver grass was used with great success. In India useless land is now cultivated in those areas!

[@bonnieprice9482]

They also plant trees and bushes where the puddles are ...the recent atmospheric rivers happened helped save many resivors..

[@frenchys_prospecting]

I love these old but new farming practices coming back. Hydrate the land, protect the eco system, plant endemic food crops = everyone and everything benefits

[@reedfrey2336]

Endemic or do you mean native?

[@frenchys_prospecting]

@@reedfrey2336 I mean native plants endemic to the area I live.

[@reedfrey2336]

@@frenchys_prospecting Gotcha, I'm interested in which plants you are referring too! Endemic plants are very difficult to come by, what types of food crops can be endemic? I'm not challenging you or saying what you said was wrong btw, just interested.

[@frenchys_prospecting]

@@reedfrey2336 all good. Australian food crops would be more berries and tubas where I’m from. Nothing wrong with some native diversity though so I’m not above native flowering plants for the birds and the bees. And non native food crop I’m going to plant in some raised beds. I don’t have a huge amount of space but I could probably grow enough of one type of food each season for our own consumption but MY situation I just want to help the ecosystem more than provide food for myself. A lot of the endemic plants where I am are more flowering types than crop yield but I enjoy the king parrots visiting my backyard

[@reedfrey2336]

@@frenchys_prospecting Ah that's pretty cool, I'd like to do something similar when I get property, sustainable living with the help of native and endemic plants is the way.

[@mandysparg134]

You from SA. Congratulations 🎉for making the dam.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Hello Mandy. Thanks for watching. Yes we are in SA. The dam is working well for the wildlife and flora on hot days like today! (36C and summer is still coming ).

[@estebancorral5151]

He clearly stated that he was in the Karoo.

[@mandysparg134]

@@estebancorral5151 He has a accent and I’m in the UK the Karoo can mean anything!

[@munnaa8944]

सर आपकी यह तकनीकी बहुत सही है दुनिया मे जितने डेजर्ट ( मरूस्थल,) सभी जगह यह लगाये जाने की जरूरत है U N O वित्तीय के जरिये। धन्यवाद

[@SennaCrow]

Build a dovecote. You already have the water source now. A dovecote will give birds a place to roost that is safe from snakes, and you wont have to bother with managing the birds. They in turn poop in the dovecote, which is nitrogen rich and can be shoveled a few times a year and given to the earth to reconstitute it. (Or you can build it in the path of the water runoff so the poop area is where the water runs below it, which means the rains' runoff will naturally wash it away when it does rain.) Newspaper and De lux zai holes will also hold water longer for vegetation, especially in combo with demilunes and half-buried clay pots that have tiny holes in the bottom while also having a lid to prevent contamination or evaporation. The pots will drain slowly. Roots grow around them, helping to insulate it more and slow the water further. Coppicing trees instead of cutting them down encourages new growth on an established system so the soil biome doesn't die off and so the tree can be farmed over and over for millennia (Japan does this to avoid deforestation, and in Italy there is a 4,000 year old tree that is managed by one family & it's healthy even today because of the selective cutting and burning done on it). The selected stems / trunks that are cut provide more moisture barrier on the ground, habitat for wildlife, material to decompose & also line the water bed, and also encourage new greenery to sprout from the soil. And can be used for fuel & building supplies also. And any burnt wood is more moisture protection and nutrients as biochar. At the bottom of your spillway, make sure you have rocks there so it won't erode the ground. Checkdams, with rocks on the lower end, will help in both slowing the water flow and keeping it from eroding as it flows over. Plant trees and brush and grasses on berms to hold them in place and to prevent wind & water erosion while also having your swale hold and collect the rising water. Berms and swales direct the water in combination with checkdams and spillways. For vegetation, the three sisters method improves the soil and also increases what can be harvested at a given time, & can extend the growing season. Dovecots are thousands of years old and have worked across the world. They didn't originate in one single place but rather across the world. They are still heavily in use today in desert areas in the middle east. Berms and swales are being used more today in desert reconstitution and on farms as a noncorrosive way to improve the land as well as in managing waterflow. Checkdams placed periodically down mountainsides is being used in Saudi Arabia to regreen unarible land along the foot of desert mountain ranges. That land is already being used for farming, as the method is working despite it being among the hottest places on earth. Newspaper zai holes are being used in West Africa with up to 500% increase in crop yield while expanding the greenery where the desert was encroaching, de lux zai holes are being used in East Africa with 500% to 2000% increase in crop yield. It increases when combined with demilunes. Ngolo holes help turn & enrich soil and water retention--also being used in Africa. Canari island of Lanzarate is using convex digs with half-moon walls made of picon lava rock that collects moisture and gives it to the ground in capillary gravity-fed action, which is helping them with agriculture in the blackended volcanic wasteland. The half-moon rock structure blocks the prevailing wind and some sun exposure. Beavers are also a natural way to regreen along an old dying river. They burrow, causing more inlets for new growth, and they dam, causing water to hold. It attracts wildlife, which encourages new growrh and improves the cycle. Last thing: Moses West is a guy who built some machines ten years ago that capture moisture from the air and collect it into a tank. The machines are solar powered, perfect for desert areas. Can't affect the climate overall, cuz the hotter the world gets, the more the oceans and waters evaporates. If it's too hot, naturally the water can't fall. His company takes orders for building the machines. He's deployed them at Flint Michigan to help with the water crisis there, and internationally to help in the aftermath of hurricane and flood disasters, and also to help the military have water when they're deployed in different locations that have no safe water, or any water at all. The water is readily drinkable and can be used immediately for farming. Others have similar technology, but his are pretty cool cuz of their sizes & water-holding capacity.

[@michaelstorto8658]

Ingenious way to gather water. thank you

[@2A_supporter]

Native Americans did it in the southwest for thousands of years before the white man came it’s nothing new people just think the new way of living is better

[@Slavicplayer251]

i’m glad i’ve found this channel, it seams like you have a lot of knowledge about about desert agriculture in specific south Africa’s desert are very similar to Australia’s as well so this will be a great help to me

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Sorry I missed your comment. :( I don't know about lots of knowledge, but it feels like we learn 5 things every day. It's sharing with and learning from folks like you that helps the bigger picture. Australia is one of my focus areas as well, and you have some great permaculture/drylands spearheads there. I reckon your hot and arid parts are way more challenging!

[@kondeamani5106]

Great amazing project, thanks for sharing it.. you have inspired me to want to do the same in my old mans land in Kenya.. ill comtact you with my progress and challenges. All the best

[@nirodper]

Get a fence wire twister, or alternatively you can make one with a piece of flat stock, it will make your life much easier, it's faster and makes a stronger connection

[@janosik150]

good job, all deserts could be green, like this...ponds are perfect solution

[@etiennelouw9244]

I dug a trench (swale) in my front yard, and made a burm all almost to the edge of my suburban home. I started a food forest all around the trench, moles have come and eaten earth worms there now so they are helping to get the water deeper into the soil, painful as it seems. So far I planted 3 trees (fig, white mulberry and lemon) as well as Cape gooseberry and fatbush and if it survives asparagus from seed. Planing to have a patch of Jerusalem artichokes as well. Some how people are blind to saving water this way. I am planing rain water into drums when I get them.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

This is so good to hear and I love that setup. It sounds ideal and it is pretty much a permaculture construct you have there. Jy het meer vrugte bome in plek as ons! Well done.

[@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard]

Greetings from Arizona, USA growing zone 9b! Wonderful video, we also have been collecting rain runoff on our property Northern Arizona. Cheers 🥂

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Awesome, love hearing from the other drylands people. Rain is so valuable for sure. I'm going to look up that climate zone; pretty sure we have similar conditions!

[@estebancorral5151]

You should be also installing a grey water system.

[@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard]

@@SimpleEarthSelfReliance I believe we do. We have only 400 gallons of storage. obviously we wish we could have 10,000!

[@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard]

@@estebancorral5151 I installed grey water drainage from our bathtub and laundry washer at our other home many years ago. Unfortunately not at our current home..

[@thisorthat7626]

Thank you for an informative video on capturing rainwater. The scenery looks so much like Arizona that I had to stop to read where you are located. I love the desert, especially during a rainstorm. South Africa looks beautiful! Subscribed. Cheers.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thanks for stopping by. It's interesting, because we also have a tendency to look up your side of the world and methods used in the deserts. AZ is indeed beautiful, and you get those monsoons which I'd like to have here.

[@sterlingkulak]

Ok. The opening of this video was just perfect.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Glad you liked it Josh. 😁

[@horserepairs]

High Sonoran desert from AZ. What you are doing is very logical. So cool to see. Love the desert. I have been trying to figure out how to divert and hold some of the run off from a large wash crossing my property that runs fiercely 4-5 times a year. I look forward to watch your greening...

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Warms my heart to hear from places like that, and that you have the water opportunities. Rain is being a little scarce lately, concerning. Gotta catch what we can. Thanks for stopping by!

[@Adnancorner]

Have you thought of vetiver grass around the edges of these small ponds ? and several fast growing trees that are native to the area eg. - "Leucaena leucocephala" they grow quickly and create the structure for the soil to stay in the position. Making the pond somewhat permanent.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Those are some good tips. I have been looking at those trees, as they are also good for feed, also Keurboom (very fast as well). Will look up vetiver a bit. Thanks for the tips.

[@AndrooH]

never plant more than grass on the dam wall, the roots will destabilise it.

[@charlesfeatherstone6196]

The South African governments race based water laws are insured. They should be promoting building of dams and stopping water erosion. How many jobs are they costing and how much water is running into the sea!

[@jamesmccorkle8448]

We had a problem with people doing this here in Tennessee about 30 years ago, building ponds on their farms. The dams were unstable and the overflow now effective, so eventually the dams would fail and cause damage down stream to the neighbors property and homes. The state has to approve them now.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Definitely good to control for safety and engineering. We also have laws and limits to size before authorization and approval is needed. This dam is small, and a failure results in a few minutes of water rushing past some rocks and trees before returning to the river. But this is not a dam on a stream or permanent source, and it only gets water if and when rains are ample. Without it, our usual droughts would be much harder to tolerate. Thanks for visiting and commenting, James. Good to have folks from the US stopping by. 🙂

[@foxmulder7616]

​@@SimpleEarthSelfReliancewhere do you find these laws? And who approves it? Your basically creating a small cattle tank? Like are found all over the desert in wash systems.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

@@foxmulder7616 Definitely. It seems each province, country, state and place has its own idea of laws. Most are protective to secure ecosystems and prevent catastrophes (which I agree with), but many seem to be based on old, terrible laws that just prevent people from improving and surviving. I am totally with you on this. Where to find them? I am not sure about where you are, but for us in South Africa, it's a dept of water (and local catchment authority) thing. There's a size limit (physically and by volume) for us. If it weren't for this dam, we'd never be able to get through summer, and wildlife wouldn't hang around as much as they do now. Thanks for the visit. Appreciate the chat

[@cuddlebuddy88mc]

0:26....that is a BEAUTIFUL sound.❤🎉

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

☺️ agreed. One of my favourites, as well.

[@sheetalbhalerao8192]

Use available water 💧 in planting &growing tall .spreading shadows various trees suitable for the Soil&climate of the regions on large scale. Create catchment areas for clouds and rainfall 🌧.

[@spice1snow]

Try it ! It is the temperature measured at the place where there is shade and where there is no shade. In places where there is no shade, the temperature will not be high, but where the sun shines unchecked, it is hot and all the water boils away. That is why shade must be provided . It doesn't matter whether it's a tree, bush, cardboard box or a stretched tarpaulin, the ground will become cooler and the water will find a footing.

[@virginiajorda4226]

What is crazy to me.....your landscape looks like you live over the hill. And Im in Arizona!!

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

It's like parallel universe stuff! I enjoy several channels in your part of the world, and thought the same thing. Thanks for your comment and visit 😊

[@kuzadupa185]

Wow!!!! Incredible job.

[@ianwallett7438]

I dug out a huge pool (25ft deep) I used Visqueen to line it as it was cheap and a friend advised me to use it. You can get it from the builders merchants. It’s used to go under concrete slabs. It has to be completely covered by dirt out of the water to keep the sun off it. That was 20 odd years ago and it’s still 100%.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thanks Ian!

[@Zubeneshemali]

Might be a very nice little patch to plant something in 5 years!!

[@johnarizona3820]

God bless!

[@alpineflauge909]

world class content

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Too kind. Trying to get there, one day. :-)

[@elizabethturner7739]

Definitely the SW of US should be doing this..much would improve by slowing water

[@pinkelephants1421]

There's also the option of introducing swales on contour with swivel pipes that you can leave up until a swale or dam gets too full and then swivel it downward to allow your dam or swales to empty to a more suitable level before swiveling the pipe back into an upright position. This just allows for more flexible water management across the landscape. Ordinary plastic plumbing pipes work well or metal ones if you don't want to use plastic. Just build into a low down position during construction to allow for easy drainage.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Very nice. I realised there's few things we could have done better while the machine was pushing the wall out. Going to do this on the next run. (we did signing some 110mm pipes now for overflow control).

[@pinkelephants1421]

@@SimpleEarthSelfReliance Cool. If for no other reason than fire risk control given rapidly increasing pace of climate change, swales could eventually make a huge difference to your property. Especially given the recent awful drought your part of the world has had; had a lot of UK news coverage at the time. Am I correct in assuming that you're in South Africa going by your accent and landscape?

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

That's right, SA. You are so right about fire mitigation. I am still trying to work that out. Changing a landscape for that takes a little time. Fire resistant vegetation and swales definitely go hand in hand.

[@pinkelephants1421]

@@SimpleEarthSelfReliance You probably really don't need to worry that much about altering the vegetation that much. In fact I certainly wouldn't unless it proves absolutely necessary. I mean the native vegetation has evolved to cope with the climate and much of the local wildlife has evolved right alongside it, so if you changed that, it would cause a great deal of harm. Just getting the swales in would probably be enough. It's worth my pointing out that you don't have to go the whole hog by putting swales on contour in a continuous line if it's too difficult to do. Think of how a dotted line looks with gaps in-between: mini swale - gap - mini swale - gap & so on. Then moving down the slope, when you go to make the next [dotted line] put your (mini) swale into the gap underneath the [dotted line] above. You just need to make the swales & gaps even in length to avoid inadvertently creating potential soil erosion problems during heavy rainfall. Depending on how you arrange things, swivel pipes could still be possible for the same effect as for use in a contiguous swale setup. I saw the dotted line swales on contour used in Rajasthan, India to great effect although they didn't bother with swivel pipes.

[@jumpingsloth3963]

@@pinkelephants1421 like spaced out mini terraces or mini ponds. Little by little. Slowly but surely. Little diversion streams and or weirs and native shrubs and bushes where u don't want the land to erode.

[@replica1052]

have your overflow towards the rear - erosion loves fast and high drops (when every living cell holds an ocean within water wants to flow slow )

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

I absolutely *Loved* that introduction scene - you know how to make a good video! I'm sorry to hear that you lost this one (dam) before the spillway could be finished - Something that my Grandfather did while building his dams was to install 8" pipe _through_ the dam wall. His were about ten feet above grade on the downslope, and were equipped with cut off valves, and the purpose of them was to feed his irrigation system in the fields below the dam. Another benefit to installing these is the ability to flush the sediment off of the bottom of the reservoir periodically, so that it can remain in service for many years. You may still want an additional spillway at the low point of the dam wall in case of unusual rain events. *Disclaimer:* This is the first of your videos that I have seen, but The message is right on point, the intro really was great, and I want to see what else you've done there .. so I subscribed, but haven't seen everything else yet 😁

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thank you so much. It helps to hear that you're enjoying the vid. You're always welcome here. I love the idea of a low pipe. Can be opened to aid in emergencies or like you said, for irrigation (and maybe fire ). I hope you like the new spillway design in the dam. So far it survives a few heavy rains. Regards. M

[@badal1001]

Very good . Slow down rain water to runaway and store underground .

[@Daniel-yc5js]

The clay în the water îs sealing the flooded areas, seen quite often even în carstic areas!!!

[@SKCCP]

Not much of water, but little at a time, letting the water seeping into the ground over a small area will add up and help developing vegetation.

[@aliciadupuy9228]

Pigs are apparently good at sealing ponds, too

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

That is interesting. If I could have them here, I'd love to try it. Thanks.

[@GabrielMontgomery10]

Excelente proyecto!

[@hiddenvalleyfarmstead]

How cool! We have definitely been looking at doing something like this on our property! We get so much rain washing through, it's like a river!! It adds up quick!!

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

I recently started watching your stuff. Thanks for popping in. You're very fortunate to have that amount of rain, definitely use it.

[@hiddenvalleyfarmstead]

@@SimpleEarthSelfReliance hey thanks for stopping by. Yeah I should specify that we only get an average just under 8 in of rainfall per year. But when we do get rains they run off very quickly so I was thinking of doing something like this to catch the rain and then pump it into big tanks to use it later.

[@mintybee5003]

Thanks for a very good informative video. Keep it up.

[@someguydino6770]

I've done some rain catchment experiments and what I have come to understand is that most locations that don't have enough water really just don't have enough water storage

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

That's a good way to put it!

[@ursus9104]

Another way would be to place plastic barrels in the landscape with small holes in the bottom so collected rainwater leaks out slowly and moistens the soil.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Love that idea. They can be linked with cascading pipes, and we can rehabilitate with indigenous seeds and plants around each barrel. Thanks 🙏

[@jamesmurphy1480]

I worked with the soil conversation service one year We built some on the south rim of the Grand Canyon for the Bighorn sheep

[@anders21karlsson]

Great work!!!!

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thank you so much. We are no experts, but trial and error gets things done. 🌱

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Hello my friends. There's so much amazing comments on this video (thanks for that!). A few are asking about the safety and laws, etc. Definitely check with your local laws about holding water like this. For us, there are limits and this dam is basically at "pond" scale. We had a wall erode before we had a proper spillway done, but this 'dam' can totally burst open and the only damage would be a few overhydrated Acacia's. The water can flow downhill to the stream and continue. There's some updates in the new video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWacl3mqiLGHZrM 😄

[@MrRossi1805]

Absolutely, this are exactly my sentiments!

[@jamesmurphy1480]

Some states you cannot divert runoff water because they say it affects the natural ecosystem

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

@jamesmurphy1480 ah that's totally understandable. I think it could affect ecosystems. We also have to get permission if it's in a waterway. This one is just on a hillside, fortunately. The problem is the cost of impact studies for something as small as a swale.

[@hannessnyman9332]

Good for you... I wish I had the chance. I live in Orania

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Dankie vir die inloer Hannes.

[@charlesurrea1451]

I'm in the Sonoran Desert, traditionally we dig what are called tanakos or tanks. It's simply a great big hole in the ground next to an Arroyo or dry wash. This allows the flow to be shared between its final destination and the tank itself. These tanks are traditionally used for cattle and are dug on a grand scale. However, one can do a Shear wall version which is lined for future irrigation or consumption.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

I like those! It's also much easier to have many small ones scattered around and they hydrate larger perimeters as a result. Thanks for the info!

[@nasigorengpecelesteh1506]

You need a big tree to store water in their root... You can planting pohon beringin. Salam dari indonesia

[@leelindsay5618]

You should have put some leaky Weirs above in the catchment flow area to slow the upland flow and improve the soaking nearly up to the top of the hills. You would still catch plenty in the pond, but you would improve the hydration in the entire area and you would have less soil mixed in your water.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Investigating this, such a nice idea to improve things by slowing it down a bit more.

[@thegiggler2]

"Dam It" best product name in product name history

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

😄

[@PsychicIsaacs]

I dig overflow trenches below the level of the dam wall. Just make sure that the trench spills a considerable distance from the base of the dam wall otherwise you’ll be undermining the footings of your dam, which is another way that they can collapse…

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

We did this after learning the hard way. You're 100% correct in the location of them. The new spillway is in rock, and far from the base. Thanks for the visit!

[@cathrynmartin4395]

I am sure I'll get screamed at for this suggestion, but when constructing Earthship homes, tires are used as a back berm to insulate the home. With this catchment and the eventual movement beyond this spot (to greening more of the land), the possible use of tires filled with the rock, dirt, gravel, or whatever is locally available to create a "V" for water movement - the tire "V" berm would be strong enough to withstand the strength of the water movement without washing out the "direction" you are attempting to move the water in downhill from this spot. I do understand that people will be disapproving because tires are rubber and might leach some objectionable constituents into the water, however, the natural filtration as the water percolates down below the surface should take care of that issue to a great extent. Just a suggestion, mind you - not trying to cause a problem here...

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

I don't think any idea is bad, and this is quite interesting. Going to think about the details a bit. I know that since some of us here have started building with earthbags, the occasional earthbag berm proved to work well to slow down rain and catch silt. Thanks for the comment!

[@jacquesjooste]

Wow, awesome stuff

[@mustlovedogs272]

Great idea and great work. Don't think you have to build it perfectly. Better to build 10 of these cheaply than one or two due to using time consuming extra expense. Anything can be over engineered and most government projects these days are just that, overengineered due to all the hands sticking out wanting some grease on their palms. What you built there will last at least 200 years and send millions of gallons of water underground that otherwise would not have gotten there.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Warming and true words. We tend to overthink things. The great thing about simple, is that it can maintained easily too.

[@denisnzomo437]

I love your work,from Kenya

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thanks Denis. I appreciate your kind words.

[@tonisee2]

If your site/terrain etc permits, in principle you could implement overflow from that current dam into swales on countour. Maybe swales even on both sides from current dam and with possible additional dams on them. That would allow keeping even more water on your land. Seems that you have a great property to work with.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Another excellent viewpoint. I like that, thanks... The idea of swales on contour and in the wash of the dam sounds great. I love the property, but it's difficult to move earth on it due to rock and clay. A little bit of shovelling every week gets it there. 😁

[@sundancer442]

Just subbed to you from the sunny outback of South Australia🙂

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Fantastic. Welcome! The outback is next level desert. Love it.

[@rupeshvr3596]

Highly informative...

[@derrick_builds]

Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

You bet. Thanks for visiting.

[@duanenavarre7234]

A way to move the water up hill without power is a RAM pump also known as hydraulic ram.

[@StarOnTheWater]

Walking in the pond also helps sealing it just with the clay that is on site.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Excellent! The dogs are in and out of it all day, and I think they also help. It seems to keep water very well now (other than evaporation and a bit of sinking in, but that's ok too)

[@mightyfraserriver977]

I will be doing projects like this in the near future.

[@glendagraves1637]

Good info.

[@SolidGoldShows]

I've used pond liners and had some good rainwater for my plants and trees. I have dug pits as well for the water to sink into the ground.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Great tip! I want to get into the pits too, I love the principle and they are very effective.

[@SolidGoldShows]

@@SimpleEarthSelfReliance Yes, it's very effective. 3 days that I didn't water after it rained because the rain sinked into the ground.

[@riaang2002]

Great property. Should maybe also look into adding some swales on the hillside to slow down water runoff and putting some gabions in to the wash to help control of the flow in to you dam. Slow everything down to maximize seepage in to the ground.

[@ceciliakilgour5744]

Have you ever watched the land reclamation series about Sudbury, Ontario? Amazing work done there. I know, I lived through it. It looks better all the time.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Not yet! Will make a note of it, thanks.

[@akocbibbo]

Love the video!! Immediately subscribed..looking forward to more updates

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Welcome ! Happy to have your visit.

[@KJSvitko]

Every home and business should install a rain water collection and storage system along with solar panels. Even in areas where rain is infrequent it is crazy to waste the little rain that does fall and waste it. We need to stop planting green lawns and switch to local native plantings around homes. It is crazy to plant lawns and build golf courses in dry desert areas. We waste too much water and electricity.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

The scary thing is that it is illegal and/or difficult to harvest rain in some places. The lowly bit of rain that falls here, on average 300mm (just over an inch) can easily fill drinking water tanks with sufficient catchment area. I agree about those lavish water consuming projects in areas without water. This includes pivots here in places like the Karoo, irrigation out 100s of thousands of litres a day to grow crops that should not be growing here :D

[@MicheleHeinyScott]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@shrachi91d]

Good and practical tutorial.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Glad you think so!

[@ahowl7mx]

Best sound in the world, thunder in the desert :)

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

You are Soooo right

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

I'm building a "levee" to help keep rain water in a field instead of flowing over a rocky area down hill to a draw (dry creek). I'm in Texas and often go months with no rain.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

So true. We got used to the 700mm of rain but easily forget that once the heat starts, evaporation and months between rain events start as well. I love what you're doing. Water is core.

[@dannytaveras1521]

Great job 👏

[@moshelevi2002]

Nice.

[@earlinemcgahen3931]

In Africa the set up mist nets on the hills above towns for rain catchment

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

I love that, but I think our humidity is just too low. I have been keeping my eye on the dew point and we barely ever get near it.

[@margaretmardon5531]

Look into using Vetiver grass to stabilize the banks and encourage wildlife

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Thanks. Always interested in trying new species. Going to have a look at vetiver. Might be the ideal companion to the spekboom and keurboom shrubs and trees. 😁

[@Tiltrotortech]

Another drain option is a drop pipe " L ". Have a pipe (2" diameter or more) through the bottom of the dam and a connected vertical pipe in the middle of your reservoir that will drain when the water reaches the top of the pipe. Obviously you will have to seal (clay or concrete) around the pipe at the bottom.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

That does sound like a good method. I will investigate that for future projects. Thank you 👍

[@AOE5578]

By building dams you are interfering in the nurture of the of the area because you stopped specific amount of water to go there ,,however some dams will have minor impact because water will still accumulate after the dam from other high areas

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

If the dam was built in the path of water, then it would be true but this is not in a stream. It catches some rain and sinks it into the ground as part of groundwater restoration and prevention of topsoil erosion. It has brought more life, birds, insects and bees up to now. I understand what you mean, and that sort of impediment would be illegal or need permit to build here. Thanks for your visit. 👍🤠

[@AndrewJohnClive]

Thank you for Sir! I discovered this because I am looking at how best to retain water on a piece of land near Elands Bay. I am also trying to get information on the construction of fog catchers as you get a lot of that on the west coast and my piece of land is facing the sea on a slope…👍🙏🏼❤️

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Glad to have you. Welcome! Fantastic area. I'd like to see how you do the fog catcher devices. We don't have much humidity but when there's fog in winter, it would be great to harvest some of it !

[@mpetty0226]

Thanks for the video, very informative and interesting.

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

Glad you enjoyed it! Have a good week further. M

[@michaelworley7517]

build a dam using rocks and sticks and mud it will help to build up storage for long term for plants and such

[@jackhaus5238]

Muddy water yum

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

As with any turbulent inflow, turbidity increases. It's pretty clear now. I'd definitely be OK with running it through a sand filter, and a stages of 0.5 and 1micron for survival drinking. Thanks for the visit.

[@motorhomemac]

A few years and you will an oasis, well done. 🕶

[@beerenmusli8220]

Really cool!

[@deecooper1567]

Wish that was allowed in Nevada USA 🇺🇸 😢. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@SimpleEarthSelfReliance]

It's sad that rainwater harvesting is something that we can't all freely do. After the massive drought we had in Cape town, I think most people turned to harvesting water somehow. I do understand that it can be done unsafely or recklessly, so that makes sense. I'm not very knowledgeable about the Nevada area, going to look into that a bit. Thanks for your comment, by the way.