Watering With Snow Melt in the Summer - Flood Irrigation for Our Little Orchard

One of the ways we try to make the best use of the winter snow's water to grow things in the summer. A system of ditches/swales that let us spread out and deeply soak in that moisture.
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Join Fy Nyth on social media - mewe.com/i/fynyth ! If you are new to my channel and Fy Nyth (Welsh for "My Nest") in general, welcome! I'm Ariel. Along with my husband Clay, our dogs, cats, bees, and some poultry, we live in a tiny house on wheels in the mountains of western Wyoming and are working on setting into our own new little homestead. I've been living this lifestyle since 2014 and my wonderful partner has joined me more recently. What will you find if you follow the channel and watch the videos?
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[@sgrvtl7183]

Very interesting! I love it that you have access to the water. Thank you for sharing!

[@yellowboot6629]

I love Irrigation ❣️🤗

[@Johnsoncrna]

That is so cool! What a great way to capture water that would otherwise get sent to the ocean, and improve your land

[@wendyweaver8749]

@Johnsoncrna - A significant portion - as Ariel pointed out in the video - does return to the waterways then rivers and finally to the ocean. The irrigation flooding slows the time before the water reaches its destination, with some recharging aquifers. It is necessary for all ecosystems to have rivers with sufficient flow to make it to ocean outlets throughout the year. Without adequate water in rivers for their entire lengths, humans, all animals and all species of fish would either be hard pressed or die. There are several documentaries about the Colorado River as it enters Mexico. For too many years, upstream uses have meant dry beds or only tiny trickles of water make it to the river's mouth. Now, more water is required to remain in the river as it flows southward. This additional water is partially blocked part of the year to allow flood irrigation along the lower reaches of the river. Result: Modest rebirth of vegetation, animals and fish. Some of the river's water even makes it into the Gulf of California in Mexico!

[@JCsJennifer726]

I never realized you could harness water on your property like this. Such ingenuity! Thank you for sharing!

[@Pinetree282]

I’ve also started to watch the ads the whole way through on smaller quality channels that I really enjoy. And “click on” if there’s a “button”. Tiny payment, but hopefully it adds up. Of course - always like and comment in addition to subscribing.

[@NarrowPathTraveler]

I'm always learning new things from you! HUGS!

[@noramax2925]

Thanks for showing how this works. You are blessed to have a water source to do that. Your orchard is looking fabulous. 🌳

[@rachelfrees1268]

How wonderful for the land and the owners. I learn something new everyday.🎉

[@littlehomeinthevalley]

We have an irrigation ditch with 2.5 water shares on our property in Idaho (something we're still learning about), and just yesterday we were talking about planting apple, pear, and plum trees in the boggy area below the ditch, so of course I had to watch this with my hubby. We move onto our property (living off grid in our Fifth Wheel) next week! Thank you for the years of prep you've given me, Ariel!

[@EnglishCoach3Ts]

We had flood irrigation in the old neighborhoods of Phoenix, Arizona. So interesting to flood irrigate in the desert. Lots of good memories of those days.

[@dennismac2939]

That was very interesting, I had never heard of this before. Thanks for showing us!!

[@nanchesca3950]

Those are some happy duck ducks😊

[@Reichenbachm]

You never disappoint, such an informative channel. Very interesting to learn, never heard of this before. Thankyou for sharing.

[@tracyspeakman9902]

That was strangely fascinating. Coming from the mid-west "flooding" always has a bad connotation, This was brilliant. Plus, loved the sun moving across the mountain at the end of the video.

[@elisabethm9655]

Love how the ducks have a pesty feast when you do this! Pure genius ❤❤❤

[@Sailorman6996]

Very clever and efficient watering. I hope you have enough water in the creek to water during the whole growing season

[@rhondamckinley4373]

Thank you 😊

[@judyzwemke9305]

I did find this very interesting. The background history was all news to me! Thanks

[@pamelahansen5928]

Also being from the east coast originally - irrigation to water is ingenious and fascinating - now in Utah- what a- great respect for water this creates - great explanation- thanks, as always ♥️

[@noramax2925]

Pamelahansen Greetings from Wisconsin. Stay cool there. My son lives in Utah and temps are over 100 degrees.

[@lynh8378]

Irritating in this way is popular where i live. It works amazing. Nice video!

[@justmaria5806]

Fascinating.

[@papajeff5486]

I’ve heard of this; but, no one has ever shown me and given a good explanation. Thank you, Ariel. Looks like you’ve made it hard on the Quack Grass…Wonder if it’s working well? Are the ducks and other critters excited about the flooding? Thank you for sharing this new concept…from east Tennessee.

[@poodledaddles1091]

Interesting!

[@geraldinefields1730]

Thanks for sharing.

[@julie2bailey]

Cool process, thanks for sharing

[@melldot]

Fascinating subject thank you for sharing

[@nj1101]

🦋🦋🦋

[@kathysalkeldbonilla6541]

Fascinating episode, thanks!

[@stellaunger8568]

Very interesting- your property is lovely. ❤️😁🌹

[@johnmccormick175]

Amazing never seen anything like it and wow it works well,thanks for sharing.

[@deesa3500]

That's how everyone waters their fields here in this area, our soil is clayey as well so our water rights is one day a week. There's 11 homes on our county road and 90% utilize their water rights👍🏼😊.

[@JoytoWorld]

Love seeing this in action after reading about it in permaculture resources. Thank you!

[@suepeterson5675]

Irrigation flooding is great. But when there’s someone up the line does not open their gates to let the water come down to the properties down the line then they suffer. I have family that lives out there and it happens. Thanks for sharing Ariel.

[@annefisher8593]

Interesting--- learned something new from your video today!!!

[@normapond5916]

Great explanation! Burly looks good!

[@bbsbacktobasics7695]

Wow..very impressive! I've never seen nor heard of that till now. So cool.

[@sheilabundren2037]

Never heard of this. I could see a mosquitoe breading ground if we tried that here in EastTennessee, especially with our high humidity. Thanks for sharing. Very informative.

[@mircat28]

I don’t know if they still do this but I went to visit a friend in Phoenix, Arizona and they used flood watering. House owners signed up to get a time period to open the flood gate. Some of those times might be 2:00 am. All around the edge of the property of each home was a little levee about 6 or 8 inches tall. They opened the gate flooded her property. It was kind of fun wading to the clothesline in ankle deep water to hang up clothes. The clothes basket sat in her sons wagon.

[@juliesutton4551]

Cool

[@potpourrioflife]

Inspiring method to retain water for when there is not a sufficient supply. What a difference it creates for the growth of food.

[@mobile_noble4026]

Look at your natural pest control at work 😂🦆

[@damogranheart5521]

Love those ducks!! Excellent bug control! For those days when the chickens can't keep up with the job.

[@maryhart637]

Thanks! So interesting❤

[@BrLambert]

I have heard of flood irrigation, probably in school or on PBS, but it makes perfect sense in your next of the woods.

[@katherinekelly5380]

I watched a video about how people are stopping the desert from spreading and reclaiming land for food production by using very similar techniques. There is a huge education component because villagers often don’t believe it is possible as it’s been generations since they have been able to grow enough food to feed them selves. I can understand their skepticism - the ground is sun baked earth (another reason why any rain they do get runs right off) and they have to start breaking the soil using pick axes It is pretty amazing to see what can happen - planting trees is the start of it and the other food crops are planted around the tree It’s great to see these techniques can used in a variety of environments

[@damogranheart5521]

I heard that the term "food forest" is used to describe that arrangement. The trees shade the land and plants that would curl up and die in the heat, wind, and constant sun can thrive. 😊

[@djf8619]

very interesting

[@Pinetree282]

Most of what you do I won’t ever use. But I do enjoy seeing the thought that goes into EVERY project. There is a nursery (Edible Acres) in up state NY that is also incredibly thoughtful, but messy as all get out. They happily collect bins of restaurant scraps for their chickens and truck loads of leaves. Along with any useable wood scraps and tarps. Know you also reuse things. Just way more things thrown away in the east. Interesting juxtaposition.

[@trudyschaffer8016]

This process used to be relatively common here in Southern Oregon for the pear orchards. I’m not sure if it still is.. it’s logical and efficient.

[@dennismatthews6660]

Thank you

[@nancyparker8363]

Parts of Arizona use this irrigation also. Great to see!!

[@Ladythyme]

How are the Bees?

[@erikateixeira4849]

Very interesting! Glad you can use the natural resources. Can people still apply to get a flooding permit or is it just grandfathered in?

[@djilaliaoudia798]

Hello, how are you? I have a diploma in the field of beekeeping for five years and I want to work there in America in bees. Can you help me?

[@elizabethsolomon2864]

I see that you used herbicides along the fence line within a couple feet of the water canal. As you are a permaculture queen, how do you explain the use of herbicides that are so detrimental to humans and the environment?

[@positivelyhappy.9876]

Just because you see a weed whacked fence line doesn't mean it was herbicides.

[@wendyweaver8749]

@elizabethsolomon2864 - If Ariel was willing to use herbicides, there would not be any quackgrass on the land. Why the personal attack on Ariel? She has NEVER held herself out as being the "queen" of anything, much less the permaculture queen. Negativity does not become anyone; unwarranted negativity is mean.

[@magamutts5726]

Did you not see Clay weed wacking the fence line?🙄

[@seamaswatters9275]

Where did you see that herbicides were used? Weed whacking and sun burn the grass and weeds that have been whacked! and when and where has Ariel said she is a permaculture queen?

[@marieworks9481]

I loved this explanation video! Learned something new. 😮🥸