Lucky for us that swales are also applicable at a residential scale. In fact, the above picture is showing large swales on a large farm field. Each swale has unique characteristics to match the site’s conditions. Permaculture swales can ease the effort of food production while improving the local ecology. Without swales, the water on this hillside would rush down and form gullies, taking precious topsoil and nutrients with it. Potential swale trenches are drawn in blue, while the planted berms below them are green. The hillside slopes downward toward the bottom right corner of the image, perpendicular to the contour lines. These indicate that all points along a single pink line are the same height above sea level.

Image courtesy of The above picture shows contour lines in pink. Map showing contour lines with swale indicators. And that’s when my love affair with the swale began! When I started creating pockets of gardens and edible landscaping around my house, I wondered how I would find the time to hand-water all of those areas. In permaculture design, we seek to solve problems in the landscape by working with nature and using techniques that are appropriate for the site.įor many gardeners and farmers, catching rainwater in the landscape can be a low-maintenance way to irrigate and improve soil quality at the same time.

That’s because the possible solutions are as varied as the conditions on each property. Irrigation for gardens and farms has always been a complicated subject. Oh, and don’t forget to grab your FREE DOWNLOAD: How to Build a Swale to Capture Roof Water Quick Start Guide at the end of the article. Learn what a permaculture swale is and why you might need one in your yard. A permaculture swale is a technique that captures water in the landscape for passive irrigation and for slowing runoff.

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