Swales vs Channels 

What is a swale? The combination of a trench and berm. Why do we make swales? To slow the water down, reduce erosion and improve productivity of poor soils. What are the three valuable components of a swale? the trench (which can also be a path), the berm and plants. And what can possibly be better than a swale? A Keyline irrigation channel can be more useful on sites that have dry ridges. Keyline irrigation channels are more like ditches than trenches. They slowly move the water from moist valleys out to dry ridges.
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