Permaculture Week: Swales

Swales

What are swales?

Swales are basically a ditch dug on CONTOUR LINES  in order to catch and store water for the land.

So what the heck are CONTOUR LINES?!?!

Well contour is the point at which the hill/ slope is level (meaning the whole line is completley the same height). Every part of every land has contour points on it.

Now think about this.. if swales were dug on these lines, what happens when water falls on these lines...

Does it the water go down? up? sideways?

No it stays exactly where it is it and moves very little or VERY slowly (to get the water to not move at all is nearly impossible).

This is why contour is so important because it is the level line that allows the land to hold the water long enough to SOAK it in and hydrate itself.

Tune in next time where I will stalk about how to FIND the contour lines using an A-Frame!

Here are some more youtube videos:

Enjoy!