I thought some of the ideas Ben Falk advised in his book, The Resilient Farm and Homestead did not seem to apply to me in our arid climate. Boy was I wrong. Just because he lives in Vermont and precipitation comparisons between Vermont and Wyoming leaves a huge gaping hole, I should have paid attention to the point – retain as much moisture as possible. Just because I can’t go about it in the same manner and on the same scale does not mean I should not be contemplating and planning how I too can save moisture especially in our arid climate. He digs swells in his hilly property. Not going to happen in our rocky, boulder strewn 5 acres. The further west you go, the bigger the rocks get and the greater the number – big time. Much more than our tractor can handle so instead of digging, we shall heap upon the ground in our orchard area at least. I can already see some natural swells forming from where I’ve piled manure, old hay, and bedding around trees and bushes. As I’ve planted in a serpentine shape and will fill in between the bushes and trees. This area between three trees can be built up and contain a herb garden. Onions and garlic etc.
These swells will naturally hold back the water drainage and increase the fertile area we can grow. I may have very little water to slow and contain but that should make it even more important – not less. It will take some years but the swells will come. Swells that will:
- Increase the amount I can grow,
- Rretain moisture as it has around the apple trees,
- Increase nutrients,
- Suppress weeds,
- Decrease the amount of watering I will have to do. If it saves me water and time dragging a hose all summer, it will be well worth the time and effort.
But swells aren’t all we can do. We are going to put in rain gutters on the barn and loafing shed this year to retain the water running off the roofs by adding 250 gallon containers at the base of the spouts. The house will have larger rain barrels too. Last year we mainly observed as the pocket book is tight. But slowly we are acquiring used 250 gallon plastic tanks to hold the water.
As for a pond, well, I thought it wasn’t on the list either but I’ve changed my mind. A child sized glacier deserves a child sized pond. The mini glacier is the result of disturbances placed by us. This dip in the landscape could be the beginning. The water naturally flows here and we need to try and enlarge it in size by depth and over all size.
(a.) The back livestock fence, of which is part cow panels, slows the blowing snow,
(b) the two 7 feet high perimeter fences for the garden slow it further,
(c) and then the row of growing evergreen trees for a wind break to save the siding on the house brings it to a halt.
Needless to say we get a large drift of over 4 feet that stays all winter over the large garden, corrals, and up to the house, a good sized area of probably about 300 feet by 110 feet.
- To every action there is a reaction.
Spring flips a switch in Wyoming going from below zero temperatures to 40’s to 50’s in one week. There is a saying, “If you don’t like the weather just wait a minute.” Some days its no exaggeration. Its why in the spring the snow melts fast but this winter brought a couple extra cold months freezing the ground to over 4 feet down. Water does not penetrate frozen ground. Yup, you got it, run off. Most of the drift had melted when we were hit yesterday by 11 inches of snow. Wish we had that pond and rain gutter set up.
For the first time we had water pooling around the foundation of our house on the north side, though for the most part the water flowed around. “Waste not want not.” is a popular saying with me and I was allowing a precious resource to drain away.
So with a prayer sent above for inspiration, we’ve been observing. Some of the water naturally drains through a low spot to a depression. What if we enlarged the depression? I asked for advice from a friend who worked in water management for the state until just recently.
- First to review state laws on water collection.
- Second to gain advice on our proposed plans to control and slow drainage.
Since the area’s water director lives just down the road, she advised we inform him of our plans so he did not come barreling up to the house in a huff when he sees dirt and rocks being moved in his line of site. We will be inching our way along, to see just what our tractor can do. It looks a little less rocky there but who knows what’s under the surface. We found that out when we tried to put up a fence around the pasture. It is especially rocky around the dip and maybe under it too.
Besides digging, we will ask the neighbor, who is always anxious to get rid of manure from his ranch’s pile, if he wouldn’t like to contribute. With it and some sand brought in, we hope to build up the dirt along the north side of the house extending the build up east to west to catch the water and channel it west to the pond. Wouldn’t it be cool if we had enough water to help supply a few drought resistant berry shrubs to to the south of the pond? We’re dreaming I know but even if we gain control of run off we are staving off erosion.
Right now Kirk has his attention on working on a greenhouse but we will continue to observe, ponder, and work on the project when we can.
Winter has loosened its grip on the land but make no mistake, it will return. What will it have in store for us next time? Will the snow be even higher; will the melt come all of a sudden? Will torrential spring rains saturate the soil and complicate things? Will it be a drought? Who knows but it’s Wyoming and one thing is sure, it’s going to be wild and woolly.
It’s best to place some resiliency into our plans. The child size glacier on the north side of the property is going to become an asset. Think positive right? How much we don’t know yet.
Swells will grow in stature and so will a tiny, most of the year dry, pond when we build it that is. It will feel good to know we stand a better chance of weathering some of life’s storms. Are swells and ponds in your plans?
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J > Interesting that you, like many other N Americans use the term ‘swell’ and ‘swells’ for the drainage feature that only flows when there’s lots of surface water, otherwise it sinks into the ground. In the UK, they are referred to as Swales (with capital S), named after the River Swale, because being on limestone that is just how it flows : only in winter is the flow continuous, in summer it is some places above ground, others below, and often a bit of both. Is it possible that the terminology jumped the big pond, but somehow got corrupted (due to unfamiliarity with its original namesake)?
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I would guess so. I see many words that we use that are spelled differently in the U.K. I also see many words that are spelled the same but said completely different. In my small observations it appears that you say the words far more phonetically than we do. I wish many things had not gotten corrupted as you say but alas, change is inevitable.
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We also use the word ‘swale’. We have no need for them, since water flows through all the time. Besides, we do not have much flat area.
In new urban development, all runoff must be contained, and allowed to percolate back into the ground. It is ridiculous! It is illegal to collect rain water that falls on the property, but it is also illegal to allow it to flow away. If the water does not belong to those who own the property, they who does it belong to, and why are they not paying rent?
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