How Can Permaculture Swales Manage Effective Water Supply In Your Farmland?

How many times have you found rotten plant roots due to water clogging?

Trust me, I have seen my plants gradually die due to unequal water distribution on the soil surface.

But, that’s when I decided to find a better alternative to manage the water supply in my backward permaculture garden. 

Storing rainwater in barrels and tanks might work, but you have to clean them regularly & might need multiple containers. 

I was looking for an easy & effective way to supply water in the farmland. Because “water is the driving force of all nature” after all.

At that time, I decided to use permaculture swales for water management. And guess what, the result was amazing. Not only the water distribution was even throughout the land but also there was no need to manually water my plants. 

Do you also want to grow healthy plants with an adequate water supply? Then, learn how to use swales to grow your permaculture food forest. 

What Are Permaculture Swales: Their Purpose & Anatomy

So, do you know what are swales?

They can spread the stored water directly within a permaculture landscape. Also, known as ditches, these specific channels ensure proper water supply to plants, reduce water clogging & better water infiltration.

Now tell me how do you feel when you see rainwater running down the storm drains? Have you ever thought how beneficial it could be for your permaculture plants if stored properly? 

The “on-contour” ditches soak the rainwater into the soil to reduce the usage of supplemental water. Specifically, using swales is an excellent strategy for sustainable agricultural water management because “harvesting water is better than wasting water.”

How Many Permaculture Swales Do You Need & When Not To Use?

Usually, swales are up to 6 feet wide and the width is always twice their depth. Also, the number & depth of the swales depend on your land size, watershed & the average rainfall in your area. 

However, you should avoid building swales on slopes that are greater than 15%. Also, if your land’s soil is saturated enough, you do not need swales for additional hydration.

Now, if your farmland is very soggy, drain the previously stored water out using swales with up to 2% slopes. 

3 Benefits of Permaculture Swales

Highly Effective to Store & Utilize Rainwater

Swales are better than tanks or barrels that store rainwater. Let me give you 3 reasons:

• Tanks might overflow
• They are difficult to clean 
• You might need multiple tanks depending on the land area

However, swales are convenient enough & the design automatically allows the water to flow evenly on the land surface. 

Drains Stormwater & Removes Pollutants

Did you know that increased organic matter in soil can trap stormwater pollutants for cleaner water supply to permaculture crops? After all, “bright futures begin with clean water.”

Swales do exactly that by removing the polluting solid components present in stormwater through sedimentation & filtration. Specifically, the water gets redirected to the swales & later soaked into the ground.

Promotes A Sustainable Ecosystem

Since swales allow the rainwater to get collected into the underground reservoir, it attracts good microorganisms. As a result, the organic components present in the soil increase & boost soil fertility. That means, less usage of farming resources & reduced money & time wastage!

3 Preparatory Steps To Create Permaculture Swales

Now, I am going to share some tips so that you can roughly chalk out the perfect areas for swales. 

Observe The Contour Map 

• Import the map of your farmland using Google Earth
• Locate your land on it
• Now, add 2 pins to the Google map to roughly define your sampling area
• Use apps to generate your land’s contour map

Outline The Swales

• Zoom in on the contour map to find out the highest points
• Also, find those longest contour lines
• Design the swales on it

Maintain Proper Distance & Create Final Layout

• Maintain at least a 5 to 20-meter distance between two swales. 
• Use Google Earth to draw imaginary swale lines along the contour lines
• Measure the distance properly & outline the swales 

4 Devices To Find Out Where to Create Permaculture Swales

Designing the swale layout is easier with the latest technological tools. Let’s check them out one by one.

A-Frame

These small-scale devices help you to find out the land contours for harvesting rainwater & building swales using scrap materials. 

Bunyip Level

Do you know where does the soil go after you dig a swale? 

Well, the heaped area is called a berm. 

So, the Bunyip level marks the location of the berms & the slopes. Precisely, it uses water inside a long & clear vinyl tube with 2 measuring sticks on both ends to measure levels. 

Transit Level

The operator uses a large measuring stick to find out the right direction towards which you need to go. This way, you find the levels for swales while walking on the hillside.

Laser Level

In this case, the stick emits laser lights to help you find the levels. However, protect your eyes properly while using these. 

2 Types of Permaculture Swales

On-Countour

You can find these ditches dug along the landscape levels & the topographical contour lines for properly elevated swales. Due to the well-crafted slopes, the rainwater gets infiltrated into the soil naturally to retain the right moisture levels.

Diversion

These swales are different channels built through the landscape to divert the water into other parts. So, instead of storing water in a particular area, it spreads the water due to one of the lower ends. Also, these sloppy ditches avoid water clogging. 

How to Position & Build Swales?

It is better to position the swales closer to a slope to capture the maximum rainwater. Also, a widely spaced & lower end will make the swale system more effective. 

Now, check out the steps to build the perfect swales. 

• Observe the land specifics & locate solid foundations first
• Analyze the site topography
• Determine the contours & the slopes
• Now, use technical gadgets to lay out the slope with the right degree
• Then, start digging manually or with spades & machinery
• Pile up the excavated soil to create berms
• Do not forget to create spillways for water drainage in case of overflow

That’s it! Your swales are ready.

Grow Your Plants With Permaculture Swales Now!

Now you know how to use the swales for agricultural needs, right?

So, try it out once to see how easy it is to manage water. 

However, growing your plants properly is extremely important. So, “let’s root for each other and watch each other grow!

If you have built an on-contour swale, plant your perennials & shrubs on the berm. Also, growing the shallow-rooted plants here can reduce soil erosion. 

But, I suggest you to plant grasses & hardy tree species if you have vegetated swales for better soil protection & infiltration.

So, as you can see, permaculture swales are essential for your permaculture garden. However, try to find other methods to preserve natural water resources, use them efficiently & reduce wastage. Always remember, “if conservation of natural resources goes wrong, nothing else will go right.”

Frequently Asked Questions