It's NOT WORKING Right! Half of the Swale Isn't Catching Water (Step 3) 

I have to be honest, I know nothing about Berms and Swales, but I love watching Nine Nine jump in the puddles 😄. I do enjoy watching your family on this adventure.

So basically, this project is a homestead-scaled solarpunk terraforming project. I'm genuinely impressed. 🌎💧🌻🔆👍

When I was young and we were developing our property, my mom would sprinkle talc into water puddles to mark where the water was standing so we could come back later (after the rain) and fix the low spots where the talc was sitting and lower the high spots with no talc.

75+ thousand subscribers!! Nine-nine almost has his brother to play happily in those puddles! :)

I love this educational series focusing on berms and swales and can so relate to Ashley's excitement when the opportunity comes to see how it's working over all! So glad you have Rudy's expertise to help figure things out. It's great to see your family putting such thought and planning into making this piece of earth function for a livable desert homestead! I guess that's the meaning of Permaculture! 💚

Bonjour la famille. The "swale of two berms." "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, " and yet, two men, in tee-shirts walked the arid land and found the highs and lows of 'great expectations.' thank you for the rainbow, the coloured clouds and the green of the land. you've worked hard, and the joy of new project is before you. " "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done." Working with soil is a precarious endeavour, a little wind or rain, it will move from north to south without or with your permission. Jonathan, your positivity is infectious.

Ashley, your excitement during the rain is infectious! I also love to see Nine Nine playing in the water! ❤️❤️❤️ I bet bath time was fun! 😂 This whole process is so interesting and I can’t wait to see how this all plays out as time goes on!!!

May I say Your Home & surrounds are looking very lovely indeed. The planning of the land is so vital to your achieving your goal of sustainability it is wonderful just following you and learning with you how it needs to be. Thanks again very informative indeed.

What could be more fun than playing in the rain and mud while improving your property???? I guess it's all about perspective. It brings out the little kid in me. Whenever it rained us kids ran outside. 😂. So exciting!!!

I'm a ALL ABOUT THE SOIL here at my house!!! So this series of Berms & Swales is soooooo very interesting to witness from the beginning!!! I just LOVE IT!!! I want to know EVERYTHING about what y'all are doing!!! From the WHYS and certainly all the WHY NOTS!!! I don't live in the desert. Oh wait... Maybe I should rethink that... Only bcuz I live in Central Texas, just about 20 miles NW of Austin. And I've only recently learned that West Texas Desert weather (which has always been very different from our weather) is now moving Eastward. Which means my location will be right NEXT DOOR to the desert! YIKES!!! Does that mean in just a few short years I'll be living in a semi-desert, or 100% desert area??? I'm guessing YES. With the difference of humidity. Where deserts are normally low in humidity, we are for sure quite high in humidity! I suppose that might change too as a lot of the plants will be dying off, and taking the humidity with them... I never thought I would be appreciating humidity!!! Ugh! It's so hard to fathom all of it!! Call it global warming or call it something else, but however you want to label it, this year the hot temperatures are really making us feel the changes!! In normal years, our hottest temperatures would top out around 102°, or even 103° F. And that would normally be happening in August. But this year!! It's VERY different!!! Starting with the Winters these past 2 years. The colder times are much colder. And the Winter rains are disappearing. It started getting extremely hot in the month of June this year. Which is very early for triple digit heat. With temps reaching 110° and even higher on a regular basis!! 🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡🌡 What the heck is August going to be like??? 120°??? When you're outside, there's a big difference between 101° and 111° !!! However, since my human body can hide in the air conditioning (here's to hoping the grid stays intact!!). I'm mostly concerned about our very large, Old Growth Trees having enough water to survive such high temperatures. I don't think there's anything I can do to help the sun scorching the top of the canopies though... My topography is very different from Austin too. Austin is super flat. And where I am, in The Tx Hill Country, it's rarely flat! If youre not familiar with it- The Hill Country is like foothills everywhere, without any mountains! Anyway, we get quite a few "monsoon type" rainstorms, or flash floods as we call them. (Or we used to anyway...) And a lot of times those flash floods are happening after long periods of zero rain, so the soil is usually too hydrophobic to absorb the water. The 2nd factor is the Hills create natural drainage down to the main lake. The spot where my house is located is a lower point compared to the higher points of the Hills. Essentially, a mini valley. And it's on a direct water route to the lake. All this to point out that even though I live in a semi-suburban area, when we have flash flooding events, my property recieves a LARGE amount of run off water headed to the lake! And the temporary deep creek which forms in my yard HAS flooded INTO my house on more than one occasion during flash floods! This happened on my property mostly because my yard is not flat. The paved street where I live is 7 feet higher than my house location. And the park next to me is lower than my house, so there is already a natural path for the water to drain. Over the years I have been working on directing the water with dry creeks, and also creating mini berms & swales on the hill portion to hopefully help the trees save water in the soil - but not TOO MUCH water!! (Wow! This comment is getting very long!! Sorry y'all!) If you're still following this long explanation, I will also quickly mention ALL the "city water" for many towns, (and Austin too), comes from this one lake I live near. That lake now serves MILLIONS of people, although, in my opinion, the ratio of people to water is way too heavy on the people side. Why don't cities and housing developers consider the long term effects of this when deciding where to build??? But anyway, that's a whole other can of worms! I'm only mentioning it bcuz saving water "in the soil" is even more important now than it ever was!! Even if it means less water reaches the lake. I guess I feel like the trees are more important than humans who are still trying to keep a British style lawn alive... (ugh... don't get me started on THAT!!) But hey, I know, that's just me. IMO - one of the greatest things about living in this area, is having the privilege of living amongst Old Growth Live Oak Trees!!! On my small property alone (only 100 ft X 100 ft) I've got 5 Oaks over 100 years old, with 3 of those being closer to 250 years old!! They're GINORMOUS!!! They're GLORIOUS!!! And I am IN LOVE with them!! They are the entire reason we decided to live here more than 2 decades ago!! They're SO Majestic & peaceful !!! Plus, the property next to mine is a small park, and there is over 20 more Live Oaks older than 200 years over there. All across our area of The Hill Country it is covered in what I would describe as Old Growth Oak forests. Ok, so the reason I'm talking about those trees is bcuz nobody is "watering" most of those trees during times of drought. And I believe berms and swales are just the things which could save these Old Growth Trees!! If the old trees die off, we really will be living in a newly created desert... So berms and swales are NOT JUST for desert landscapes in these very hot & dry times!! Now if I could just convince the Parks Department (small town politics) that this is a necessary project...

Very interesting. Yes, I spent several years walking my property after monsoons to monitor rainwater flow and to mitigate erosion. Best to nip problems in the bud, because water is relentless. A little trickle of a run on fresh diggings can soon become a gully, if not checked. Thanks for addressing my previous mention of using pond liners and gravel in the bottom of the swale. Just for clarification to your viewers, that was for a different application to achieve a different objective of harvesting the runoff water, storing it inside an underground storage tank, then using a solar pump for spot irrigation to specific plants. The swale would be sloped towards the tank, instead of level. The pond liner was to funnel the water into the tank. The gravel was to filter out debris from getting into the tank. No buried tank = no gravel = no pond liner = no sloping swale. Your objective is to slow and retain the runoff long enough for the water to soak into the ground under the berm. You're on lower, quite level, sandy desert soil, which makes it more absorbent. I'm living on rocky, sloped foothill land, with hard caliche that's less absorbent. Different design solutions for different situations. "Different strokes for different folks." I wanted to harvest, store, and irrigate a screened in, automated aquaponic greenhouse. Then, life happened. 😎

Nine Nine is so enjoying himself!!! So damn cute!!😂

Oh my gosh it started working with the swales and berm!!! Oh heck yeah out there getting that water running!!! Woooooooooooo! Nine Nine is gonna Wonder Dog that water! 💝🐾💝💜💕💖💙💝💜 super awesome TSH family.

A common strategy for drylands is to mulch inside the swale itself. The reason being that the mulch will absorb much more moisture than mulch on the berm would absorb, allowing it to break down into humus more rapidly, while also preventing a lot of evaporation by covering the area that retains the most moisture. Of course mulching the berms is also incredibly beneficial, it can just often be harder as it's more prone to drying out and blowing away. Establishing a cover crop/ground cover may be easier for protecting the soil on the berms. I also recommend planting some hardy nitrogen fixing trees on the berms ASAP as a support species. These trees will greatly reduce evaporation during the dry season, and can be pollarded at the end of the dry season creating lots of mulch that can be laid down to absorb the rains of the wet season.

Good morning

It will be interesting to see how much faster the longer swale grows and develops than the shorter upper section, since it is getting that nutrient rich run off from where the chickens are ranging. I think you will probably have to look at multiple sources for your mulch cover.. If you have a paper shredder, perhaps shredding some newspaper, maybe some of the big bales of wood shaving that you can buy at the box store for guinea pigs and rabbits. Actually, once you pop those open, they really expand, and you could also probably take off some of the tops of your grasses, for your chop and drop. Your mesquite branch tips would also work on that. I don't know much about lawns in towns... how hard do people in arid climates work at having grass lawns? Can you get their clippings???? Whatever you try though, good luck and I'll be watching.

We did flour sacks and burlap on the berms and planted grass when I was a kid over 60 years ago

Another interesting video. Living at the foothills of the Superstition Mts where we raised our family In the 80s gives me appreciation for your journey. Keep on truckin 🔥🙏

Really enjoying this series of videos, about things other than the construction of the Chicken Coop Garden.

I saw somewhere they used hay as mulch and then put metallic meshes on top to make sure the wind will not bellow them away. Apparently hay is a great material to keep the soil moisture.

Smart people figuring things out. I am learning so much from you all and just wishing all of you great success.

Great series! Seems so counterintuitive to redirect water ON TO the property and not redirecting it away from the property.

Beautiful family, The vibe between you two is awesome…!!!

I adore that beautiful dog ....hes so gorgeous.

Finding mulch at the begginning of projects is always a challenge. Here eco frientdly groundwork crews project humid fine mulch (cellulose paste, hemps or straw fine powder, sawdust...) the goo sticks to slopes. Too bad here when redoing radside contouring, they seeded before the dry season. The principle is fine. But not miraculous if there isn’t any water for growth.

that is one silly puppy, but he does have the right idea. playing in puddles is best fun

Ashley you are a true pioneer woman!

You guys are making a paradise. So cool.

Thank you for sharing.

Making progress ! Great info ! Cheers to your family !

Interesting....and very important. Hope all of these questions and answers line up soon for you. Thanks

I dug my first swale yesterday AND planted on it hours before a downpour and we have more rain predicted today! Yay!!!!!!! Hope I’ll have some potatoes and aloe (and some weird desert plant that was just growing there) soon 😁 this project you did was big and I love it but it’s important to know that you can do it with whatever you’ve got! Just make it work. That’s what I’m learning. I think it’s the baby part of my food forest future and I couldn’t be happier. I’m kind of obsessed with water right now

Yay!!! ❤️ It’s so nice to see them at work!! The talc idea is smart, but hopefully you won’t have too much touch up work. Nine Nine in the swails, lol!! 😂😂😂

Thanks for this very informative investigation into the feeding and care of your berms and swales. This is permaculture 101! I'm so glad you solved the mystery of "the empty swales". I loved the Mission Impossible music. I hope opening up the berm for the old road can solve that problem. Can Mark help you with that? When we visited Arizona we sure noticed all the little "washes" all over areas when the rains broke through and rivers ran across the land. It was amazing to see. I can see why swales and berms would be a necessary part of managing rain flow on your land. We have a gravel road we share and each heavy downpour cuts gullies into it. It's got to be ten times worse in the desert! Your channel is a gold mine! So much knowledge and common sense shared with us. Thanks!

It's absolutely inspiring to see the water collecting!

Great video and cool tunes, enjoyed all the formation about the ditch and burns and how the subtle effect in elevations is critical to you project thanks for sharing.

I am enjoying the level of information and the balance of music in this video. Just perfect thank you for sharing.

Mighty Fine Swale Technology

Sweet video.. the channel is growing nicely in different directions.. really nice to see. Keep it up folks. Love from North Devon, England x

Let it rain!!! Nine Nine is the happiest dog, learning so much thanks family, Toronto Canada

This is really fascinating stuff guys. Lots of details and variants... but I have no doubt your perseverance will win out. The theory is sound.

Killin is with these cliff hangers! 🤨😉

Thankyou. So interesting, I’m learning a lot 🌻

Wow it is alot to figure out to get the water flowing correctly. Ashley you were so happy being out in the rain. I too get out in the rain. I wish we would get some rain.

I can't wait to see that land transform. Livin' the dream!

Morning. From Nashville Georgia USA

This is really interesting thank you for sharing👍❤🤗

WOW a River. Nine nine gonna have a blast....

Amazing introduction. The ground behind Jonathon is so green!!! Imagine the oasis you'll have when you capture all the water once all the berms and swales are done!!

Nine Nine approved.👍☮️

Good stuff

You make desert living look so glamorous!

Interesting! Good morningen from North of Norway.

Good luck on it 😘👍🏻💕

awesome video

Hat down, interesting topics and brilanat musical choices. .Greetings from Slovenia

This s going to be great...the greening of the desert.

Whoa! A river runs through! It's crazy when the rains are intense! Our road is...well...more of a 4x4 trail when it rains! 😱😬💦

Not only is the swale awesome, that was some top notch Nine Nine content today 😊

A lot of adjustments but will be worth it. What I got out of this video is have an experienced expert come and assess the topographical area of your land before I take it upon myself to start digging and create a mess. I appreciate these videos as I could see it's not easy in doing it with just by eyesight if I want to do it the right way. Thank you Jonathan for your nerdiness which I love. It sets me in the right direction when I get to this point. Before I build I will get someone preferably Rudy to help me. Don't know if he comes to West Texas Brewster county in terlingua. I don't want to affect other properties or roads in the process. And knowing myself I would screw up everything. Keep posting these videos. They are so helpful and detailed. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. ☮️🙏☯️

the amazing fantastic job there. hope you have been able to harvest the mesquite beans. Mission Garden has a mill for them at the end of June.

This is so very interesting. At first I was confused about it, but now I'm understanding the concept. If only we could get a look at what 5 years in the future is going to look like! 😄

99 is certainly enjoying the water

Very interesting! So appreciative of y'all sharing this. Love y'all ❣️ ❤️❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎🐐

lots of science behind this process..

Such an interesting topic. Would have loved to watch the entire video but the pitch of his level drives my dogs crazy! It would be great if those beeps from the level could be muted. Keep working hard-you’ll get it figured out for the benefit of your beautiful property.

very interesting your getting the berry bushes and trees, fantastic. trees need to be planted quickly as roots go beyond the outermost leaves. some trees like the paulownia don't need to be watered as their roots go deep looking for water, a lot like tomato plants, except the paulownia trees are for hot desolate areas, maybe a last man standing type tree, they were in your area before some other cataclysm happened. i suspect your garden center has no idea about them, they still are in ancient areas in china.

Fascinating….

Wow!!! I really enjoyed my coffee with TSH today!!! This is all fascinating. BTW, I still think the kids could make a fantastic video!!!!

Nine nine is a hoot!

This is very cool. I hope one day you could put together a layman's terms detail of what's happening here. I get the jist of what's happening but the results are pretty amazing and it would be nice to hear a easily digestible version of the science behind what makes this so efficient. Very good job TSH! I can't wait till the next video!

I just love watching 9-9 he brightens up my day 😁 oh how did the gutter tearn out with the first rain?

The best idea i got for mulch in the desert for grass is using woodchip, cardboard or rocks

nice jacket!

Spectacular rainbows 🌈

The mechanics of the swale is really interesting.

One thing at a time.. naaaaah. Let go for 7 🥰

Looking good mum

Like your Kantha kimono!

Nine Nine loves Berms and Swales!

Looks like you've found a great solution to saving water on your property. I'd recommend encasing both ends of your driveway culvert to prevent the ends from getting crushed any more as it's so narrow. I noticed tire marks on the side of the fill in an earlier video.

Nine Nine is enjoying the water 😁

Wood chips or bark may work even peat moss . what is the soil like out there Can you grow pine trees? A certain type of pine tree can grow almost 100 ft in ten years. that's a good tree to have. Is it possible to build a small green house on your land to start plants ,protect them from the strong winds. another good plant to have ( as long as you control it ) is wine berries. They grow wild and produce great fruit !

My favorite thing to see is a cloud dropping rain, off in the distance! It is something I have enjoyed for 60+ years and it never gets old! This is a question that I have always puzzled over and did not quite understand today. When it rains and the water drains quickly in the sand, does it run along the bedrock just below the surface? Are there pockets of rock that hold the water that plants and animals can access? While you want it to drain below the surface, is there a method to know where the water will drain from there? I know, me and my questions. What you are doing comes closer than any project I have been aware of that might be able to answer that. I completely understand planting at the edges of the berms and swales but….okay, I will be quiet and hope you have an answer that this peabrain can understand. Great video!

So loving this information series❤ I wonder if creating the berms and swales will create little micro climates along the way? See ya later👋👋

Interesting

Just What I had said two days ago in a message, you have got to put some Rift-Raft Stone around your culvert that you driveway goes over to prevent a Wash-a -Way of Dirt. I was thinking last night about your Swale going around the Solar House, that it can't wash into your Solar House foundation.

H2O!!! AWESOME!!!

Puddles!!!!

Maybe your horsefriends can collect some spent hay for you to pick up, ours always drop some they won't eat later. Animal bedding will work. Do you have rotting haybales in the desert? They would work great. I would also cut grass for mulch if possible. Shavings might also work, especially for around the trees as they promote mycelium in the soil. Loving your videos, keep up that great work! Antje

Hola familia exitosa veo que su procreso es evidente espero ver su triunfo al final y eso me llena de alegria su trabajo es un logro notable para mi saludos familia espero verlo.😉😊😘❤💖💕👍👋👋👋💁‍♀

Cheap/free large volumes of mulch are available from tree trimmers in the cities. Rent a moving van and go get some?

I took the palm branches that my husband trimmed from our 6 Mexican palm trees and cut them up to 2-3” pieces to mulch my vegetable garden. My right hand was sore, but I had free mulch to help keep the moisture in the soil. I hope this suggestion helps you. Best wishes 🌸

Anytime i have seen this type of work done, they use a grading bucket on the machine. It is wide and has a straight cutting edge.

Interesting. You can collect more water from the roadside. Put some some bush/branch on the ditch beneath your fence to stop predators. In the future, you could plant a bushy plant near the fence as a permanent deterrent. I would rather have more water than not going into the soil. Its like insurance for the future.

I am enjoying this part of learning but I do wish you would also let us see how the chicken garden rain barrel works as well. Thank you

Harder than you think. Water goes where it likes not necessarily where you want it to thank you, ALL stay safe and dry

✌️💙🙏very interesting 🤔 👌 👍 👏🏻 👀 😊

Can we have a video of a day in the life of your mud baby Nine Nine PLEASE

Sounds very complicated to me hope you get it sorted out x