permaculture

[David Fuller <sol3az@igc.apc.org>]

Great idea.. 

I have questions, though, based on my confessed ignorance of the issue!

What is the relationship between slope angle and the effectiveness of
swales? (Of course they become dams at the extreme end of the continuum).

Is there a confirmed relationship between slope and frequency/ spacing of
swales and the sheet water flow?

David Fuller.









At 12:51 AM 2/17/98 -0700, Michael Yount wrote:
>------- Forwarded Message
>Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 23:40:20 -0800
>To: owner-permaculture@envirolink.org
>From: Michael Murphy <michael@ctsl.com>
>Subject: Re: Swales & Mudslides
>
>As everyone knows, Noorthern California is Mudslideville. Here's my
>question: will swales reduce/prevent mudslides? Obviously, they stop
>erosion by slowing water and putting it into the dirt - but when the dirt
>is saturated, we get mudslides. If I could make a coherent argument to
>FEMA/SBA, I think we could get a major loan program (4%, 30 years) to build
>swales everywhere. I was in this program after the '82 floods and they are
>very loose about flood damage/damage prevention IF the landowner can make a
>coherent argument.  So - any evidence to support the hypothesis? Thanks.
>
>
>
>------- End of Forwarded Message
>
>