[Pil-pc-oceania] swale building

[ian lillington]

Thanks Sue

Apologies if you rec'd this more than once, we will be changing a lot of our IT stuff
later this week

 

Brief and to the point.  

 

In dry central Vic., if the tree is already established, I dig a shallow dish by hand
around each individual tree.  That means that when I have one or two buckets of water, I
can easily pour it into the dish and be sure that it infiltrates in the right place .

 

At mid scale, I have seen swales laid out with old tyres and newspaper bundles, or
stones, or brush from fallen trees; cut slightly into the ground (let's not have the old
tyre debate here).  anything that stops the water moving too fast down hill is worth
while

 

On a larger scale - yes, heavy plant is a marvelous thing when used in the right way. 

since 1992, I have been teaching that it makes sense to save our oil for jobs such as
this.  

 

David Holmgren is very skilled at detailed swale and dam design and makes these links
with peak oil very well in his work

 

Ian (Lillington)

 

  _____  

Interested in both comments

 

Firstly that it is not hard to build a swale - and suggest it is hard, without major
plant.  Which brings a second issue, what will we do when peak oil hits and we cant use
heavy plant??

 

Then there is the issue, that I would prefer a person to make my swales to have a PDC
and at least know the reason and process.  So don't suppose Mathew is in Sydney - I need
some swales.  If Mathew isnt, then is there someone here???

 

How will I find out?

 

Sue Mossman

 

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