About 100 years ago this area did not have a lot of Junipers it was all grassland, because of over grazing by ranchers with cattle and then lack of restoration from the Buffalo (who were in this area originally properly grazing) it changed the landscape, along with loss of the beaver, who would damn up seasonal washes. He's actually restoring it to what it once was. Though it may seem strange I would say introduce some cattle at some point, obviously control grazing, but they'll help bring back native grasses and feed the soil. Those native grasses will help retain the water in the ground. Grazing if done correctly can make a huge difference.
Hi Jeremiah, you are spot on brother! The historic ranching in this area unintentionally depleted the soil and scrub juniper started to take over the grasslands. There have been efforts over the past 5 years to start clearing out large swaths of scrub juniper from National Forest and State Land in an attempt to allow the grasslands to take hold again. So far it seems to be working, I look forward to turning my place into a similar oasis. I'm fortunate that we have free range cows out here, they love hanging out in the lower meadow on my property so I've got lots of cow patties hitting that spot on a regular basis. I'm excited to see what this place looks like in 5-10 years time! Great comment, I really appreciate your accurate history of the ecosystem & description of what I'm trying to accomplish here. All the best ~ Brian
@@rosehavenfarm2969 a blow drier dries your head even if you got hair - the wind sucks moisture from the grass wich in turn sucks moisture from the soil
Might I make a suggestion ? You can see that any "leak" in your walls tends to funnel your sediment out. You want the water to spread and run over the top or around the edges of the dam. Try layering your cut juniper branches among your rocks to create a "net". The needles will plug up holes in the rock wall and catch more silt. Will also create mulch, compost over time and improve your soil. In fact, the branches can be used to create dams if rocks are used to hold them in place, saving amount of heavy rocks you have to move. The height of the walls is not as important as the thickness. Small rocks, gravel can be used to plug holes and hold more water. Love what you are doing there ! Also research "sand dams" where water is held underground in sand that accumulates.
I was thinking about all the various ways to build “beaver dams” with the cut juniper. A few large rocks to layer the branches against will slow any small water flow and spread it out good. For sure use the branches to fill the gaps in the existing rock dams where the sediment is flowing through to help catch the sediment and seal the dam up.
This comment for the win. He should look up "beaver dam analogues" and model some dams after those concepts. These juniper trees would be perfect for that.
Nice work! Can I suggest one thing? If you girdle the junipers by cutting a ring in their bark through their sapwood and leave them standing in place rather than removing them, you can gain the benefit of the shade that the dead snag tree will produce. This shade and the body of the tree will reduce solar and wind exposure, which will both reduce evaporation and desication of your land while reducing the erosive force of monsoon rains by buffering the impact. In addition, the shade can allow you to nurse other less thirsty or more beneficial trees or shrubs that you prefer to transition in the place of the junipers, and it gives birds and insects a place to perch which provides free fertilizer. After another tree or shrub has gained a foothold in it's nursery, then remove the juniper snag. Just a thought. Great to see your project.
Soil biologists have proven that adult trees share food and water with younger, less established trees through their roots and mycorhizal fungi. Leave the junipers until your saplings become established. You will have greater success and faster results.
The birds perching on the dead tree when dropping the seeds and the trees grow it will spawn a forest around it, local birds have benefit of dropping native plant seeds :D!
Some ranchers in Central and Eastern Oregon removed the juniper trees around springs that had dried up, and eventually found their way back to the surface and running again. They really do such up a lot of water i think your going to be very surprised how your land reacts with the absence of junipers
Check out Bamberger Ranch Preserve in Texas... David Bamberger bought one of the worst pieces of ground in the hill country of Texas, waged war on the juniper (that would have historically been kept in check with the frequent natural fire cycle). After just 2.5 years, the first spring began running on the ranch. They now have 11 springs where none existed. If we won't allow fires to naturally control the junipers, we must do the management ourselves.
One thing to think about, too, is that your one-rock dams should be two times wider at the base than they are tall. This creates a pyramidal structure that's strong and will resist being pushed through by the heavy flows. On the downhill side, you want to create an 'apron' of smaller rocks so that water cascading over the top of the dam doesn't tumble and scour away the soil, undermining your structure. You can see the benefits of this in your second dam where the water flow was able to push through the underside of the dam, creating that deep channel. If you'd used the smaller rocks all around that area to create a ramp-like construction fore and aft of the main ridge, the water would have been broken up and lost energy rather than being able to focus and push its way through. A good rake or grub hoe used to scrape up the small pebbles around the dam site will make piling them up on the faces of the dam a lot easier. In the end, it's about experimenting and learning from others. There are a ton of videos on RU-vid about making "leaky weirs", "One Rock Dams", "Beaver Dam Analogs" and the like. You have all the resources you could want on your site, so check out a few videos and see how others have successfully built theirs. No need to reinvent the wheel.
In 1957 my father bought 5 acres of land that was bare, with 6 ft deep gulches from the water running into a stock pond. It got fenced so the cattle could not get get in. Cut junipers were placed in the gulches to slow the water and catch the sediment. More junipers were added as the julches filled up. Today 65 years later that land is all grass, no gulches and the stock pond is gone replaced by a gentle slope into a depression. Northern AZ..
You can use the wood and branches from those junipers you're planning to cut down to make leaky weirs as well, something similar to the way beavers make their dams. It's useful material for that silt catching, and if you have pieces long enough to anchor into the sides of a stream bed all the better.
You’re catching valuable topsoil with the rock berm method. It won’t be long before you notice a big difference. I use to have a homemade wooden sled that I used behind my 4 wheeler. Kept me from having to lift the larger rocks so high .
I admire what you are doing more than I can say. I think about the times before the beavers were wiped out on so much of the land where you live. Grasslands and wetlands were abundant. Today, it is you doing the beavers' work. That makes you the new keystone species in charge. I wish you tremendous success. I suggest that you incorporate those cut-down trees into your rock dams to help provide structure and to filter silt from the flow. I am soooo impressed!
That is a thought I have long loved: humans are a keystone species. It is so good to watch us get back to our Creator's original intention! Caretakers of the Gaden. Every bit counts.
When we build these water slowing walls, one thing we do that helps a lot is that we add a layer of straw right against the rocks, and then cover that straw in a thick layer of sand (clay if you have it). It mixes together and fills in all the cracks in the wall and retains water a bit better.
I love a rainy day. Way to go Brian . Rocks everywhere ya look out there. Sierra is looking fine. Take care of yourself and Sierra. I’ve been watching since you had that big tent in the snow. Fun seeing your RC truck.
Hey William! Hope your holiday weekend is going well. I'm having a blast out here turning my property into an oasis. I love the solitude and having Sierra by my side makes life that much sweeter. Enjoy the rest of your day, thank you for tuning in! ~ Brian & Sierra
That is pretty cool. Here in northern Colorado if we did something like that someone would have a meltdown about water rights. In my town we can have rain barrels. Their combined capacity can NOT exceed 110 gallons. Ridiculous.
Yeah, I was very disheartened when I looked into the various codes in the mountain counties so that's why I purchased land out here. There's more freedom to work your land without any neighbors getting upset or the county telling you what to do. I love the solitude out here but I do miss the Rocky Mountains. Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!
This really shouldn't a problem as a spreader dam, old term, does not stop water flow. It slows it. It also stops erosian and the buildup of sediment in streams. There should be research out there that backs it up. Erosian control and sediment catcher is better for people who don't understand that not all dams are for building lakes.
Tremendous success, Brian! I was amazed at how effective that first 'test' area turned out. How exciting to have that kind of result immediately. I watched the reference video you posted and learned a lot from it. Great idea and good plan for your land. I'm a huge fan of stewardship but not a don't go off the trail ever crazy person. You have to walk your land to care for your land. It's looking really amazing. Good for you and Sierra, I'm glad she's still with you to enjoy it. Your friend in Vegas!
Thanks Chris! Yeah, I was VERY surprised at the amount of sediment deposited after just one storm. I can only imagine how much will accumulated over time, I'm thinking this will really help spread out water running through the lower meadow. I'd love it if I could have a wetland/riparian area year around down there. Currently it stays green for about 10 months out of the year so I don't think I have far to go for it to stay lush year around. Hope your Sept is staring off awesome in Vegas, cooler temps are on the horizon!! I'm ready for fall/winter. ~ Brian
If I could make a suggestion on your rock dams - do more little ones rather than a few big ones. Sure, bigger ones would individually hold back more water but more little ones would (in my opinion) prove better at slowing a greater volume overall. Even a wall of one rock high would work. The greater the amount held by larger individual dams, the more likely it is that the water would break through and erode or go round the sides of the dam and erode.
Looks like a great plan. I think it’s good that you’re doing it over a couple years so you can modify the plan as needed. You actually may get the results you want sooner than you think.🤔
If you put rock salt on the stumps when you cut them down that should kill the rest of the roots. You need to drill holes first then use the rock salt cover.
@kittimcconnell2633 yep you are right. It works but it can kill off other plants in area. Spectracide Stump Remover is safe and according to This Old House it works to remove the stump.
Plant a hedge row of native switch grass on the downstream side of your rock dam, and extend the hedge out to the left and right of you dam. It will prevent erosion on the down side of your rock dam, and also catch more of the soil as your rock dam gets filled up to overflowing.
This has been my dream to do since I was a child. Even as an adult I get knee deep in the water building dams for wildlife. Currently stuck in Central City Phoenix. As soon as I have the means I'm out back to the wild
I have many small check dams rather than larger dams. It doesn't let the water flow gain momentum. Also, if one of them fails, it isn't as catastrophic a a single large dam. Mulching or chipping the trees helps too. Nice start sir.
Great job Brian! I'm a few years away from retirement and starting to look for land to begin a homestead. I have lurked for years, but this video made me have to comment. You and Sierra should be proud!!
Right on, thank you for tuning in! Best wishes for your land search, I was really lucky to stumble across my property as it was a FSBO and not listed on Realtor.com.. Hope you are able to secure your slice of heaven for a homestead. Living this way is such a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of big cities. I absolutely love it!
@@OffGridBackcountryAdventures Can you tell me the general area of AZ your property is located in? I'd love to find something like that for my retirement. Thanks.
Well the juniper provides shade over the soil thus keeping the temperature lower and preventing evaporation. They do suck up water but it's good to have them as well. Love the idea to create a wetland tho. It gonna benefit wildlife so much and can be a great opportunity to grow food as cattails are edible and so is wapato and pond lilly if you can get some. Willow is also great as a medical plant and is excellent for deer as well. So many opportunities for you and the land I love it.
We use chicken wire and rebar driven into the ground and pile the rocks against the upslope side. Even a heavy rain won't wash them away. Gravel, twigs and leaves catch in the crevices and soon an almost watertight dam is formed holding water for several days.
Good progress from day 1, NICE. You should also put rocks on those areas where you see water incising the land. It will stop it eroding further (13:50 in your video). And another way to slow the flow is to just leave the sawed of junipers in the water channel (think like a beaver).
Perfect permaculture beginnings you can do so much with the swales and water catchment on contour. I’m looking forward to following this content. Always enjoy your videos thanks.
There is a large effort to thin out juniper in E Oregon. I think you could mulch the juniper and improve soil So cool that you are capturing and slowing the water. Can’t wait to see how it all works out
Mike Dickson has a video on Joel Salatin's place. He shows his check dams. Where he uses a scrap piece of plastic so he control the water etc.. with poly tubing and he is able to have multiple uses for water ie; livestock etc... I don't know if you plan to a few heads of livestock but it certainly wouldn't hurt. I'm glad I found your channel! Thank you for sharing, it's not easy work but it sure is meaningful work. Brooks
Nice work. Can say if you can change to working from high land to low with check dams may be less exciting but would give you good yields but with much less repair/maintenance in rain events. Nicely done
@16:12 to reduce piping of valueable sediment through the dam, try putting the juniper braches (all the dead/lower limbs). that'll help seal it up without moving rocks haha
Man you ROCK. 😂 You know I have to say something corny. However you are a very smart man. I love your creations. Your property has come along way. I enjoy every thing you do. It is so interesting and the videos are absolutely beautiful. Much love to you and Sierra. Hey, looks like you smashed your thumb pretty good too. Ouch! Be careful 😂
You can use your cut junipers to slow runoff, too. Lay the in your channels with the cut stump pointing uphill. Use several such structures per runnel. Several slowdown ares per runnel will drastically reduce erosion. r runnel will drastically reduce your erosion. Water’s erosive power
Hey there Brian. Man I'm excited about your plans for the future. I'll keep posted. Is this where your gardens going eventually? This is great man. Love it. Take care. Vaughn
Yeah, I'm definitely going to plant fruit trees along the swales. My buddies have cherry, lemon, peach, and orange trees flourishing on their properties. Nothing better than fruit directly off the tree!
Hi Brian and Sierra. The property is looking really good. Loved the night lighting storm , and that was a cute little bunny rabbit. Hugs and kisses for Sierra 🤗🤗😘😘❤️❤️
Lookimg good! Hey i did some dams out at dead horse but instead of using rocks, we used those junipers! Turned out really great because the twigs and organic matter worked really well to block out all those small crevices. We caught almost 2 feet of sediment in one storm and flattened out almost 80 feet of the wash, and it stayed wet for almost 2 months
Love what your doing! Those little rock walls are called 'check dams'. To prevent the rocks from getting washed out, you can do two things: build many, many more of them, but lower in height, which creates lots of small tiers instead of fewer large tiers. Second, start higher in the landscape where there is less water and it is moving slower. I Rubio, generally, is better to trap the water at the highest elevation you can so it sinks in and seeps out over a longer time frame. If you haven't found the videos, check out "Australian Story: Peter Andrews, Natural Sequence Farming". He us legendary for turning around dry properties, but his work deviates a little from the "just build swales" theory. Very interesting, and his use of woody material would work very well with your juniper trash.
The areas under the canopy of the removed Junipers will keep their high infiltration rates for up to 10 years, some studies show. Interesting stuff. Thank people for science!
Pretty impressive from one storm. Interesting to see how much vegetation grows in it in a year or two. You’ve got a real project ahead on the junipers.
You're stopping a whole bunch of erosion. You're also proving something really important. Your rock dams don't have to be watertight, they just need to slow the water sufficiently to drop that soil.
When you build your next rock weir direct the edges downhill so the water can more easily flow around rather than through and perhaps destroying it. It’s counter intuitive but it should be a slight curve but the opposite direction of a man made dam.
Use some of the larger junipers you cut down and make a series of pointed posts that you hammer in behind each of your rock catchment walls. Love your ideas.....
I get suggested these kinds of desert property improvements and find them interesting, wondering how much improvement can you really make in 40 years? This property looks a lot more doable than most. Anyhow I've made this same comment many times and it is clearly not obvious to most people. Think about how a brick layer makes a door span, it is an arch because the weigh being supported above puts the brick or stone in compression where it has tremendous strength, in tension, not so much. So when you make a water retetion/ slow down structure, especially if not using cement, you really must build it as an arch so that when the water and sediment stack up against it, your loose stone goes into compression so the rocks stay put. Otherwise it will wash out, likely the first time you get an inch of rain. That shape also helps to spread the flow out and slow it down so it drops sediment instead of digging a gulley. Always build that curve in and as it fills behind, place the next layer a little uphill so your resultant rock wall is leaning toward the uphill side. Have a look at a dam like Hoover for geometry clues.
Juniper trees not only support a diverse array of wildlife, including birds, mammals, and insects by providing essential food, shelter, and nesting sites but they also play a vital role in stabilizing soil and creating beneficial microclimates. These trees help prevent soil erosion and moderate temperature extremes, which are particularly valuable in desert conditions. However, their significant water use and allelopathic properties present challenges. Manage juniper populations strategically-opting for selective thinning rather than complete removal to balance water conservation with ecological benefits. Utilizing removed juniper wood as mulch or for building materials can further enhance resource efficiency.
I'm interested to see if you'd get a mix of Arizona wildflowers, the bugs will really like that. Some trees to make shade for small plants too, hopefully you can find something that doesn't suck up too much water.
I've been fortunate to only see one in the 3 years I've had this property. Friends at lower elevations get quite a few coming through their land in the warmer months, I'm lucky up here.
