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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] gabions

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  • From: Bob Ewing & Jocelyn Paquette <sixdegrees@baynet.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] gabions
  • Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 13:08:02 -0400

Greetings, this sounds like a possible solution. We have plenty of helping
hands, mostly youth involved in a Young Ranchers project so this could work.

Kevin email wrote:

> Here on the Texas Gulf Coast, I have had success filling erosion ravines
> that drain to a bayou with branches, leaves and pine needles. During heavy
> rains the runoff water no longer rushes through the ravines and more organic
> matter is collected by the existing material. This helps to increase water
> infiltration in the future by mulching the soil and making the ravine
> channel less steep and deep. What you are describing is similar to trenches
> placed on cultivated land, esp. corn fields, where farmers would fill the
> trench with ground corn stalks and trench compost for the season. The
> following year the trench would be dug along another row and the process
> repeated. Over a period of years most of the field would have been treated
> with a composted mulch that increased water infiltration and soil fertility.
> This system was popular after the Dust Bowl, early 1900's, in the central
> United States. If there is plenty of brush left over from land clearing in
> the area all you need is a way to effectively fill the trenches. Grinding
> the material is not necessary and it will last longer as a mulch if it is
> not ground up. This will take a lot of labor and/or machine work. Best of
> luck!
>
> Kevin Topek
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: permaculture-admin@lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:permaculture-admin@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Bob Ewing &
> Jocelyn Paquette
> Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 8:05 AM
> To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [permaculture] gabions
>
> greetings, the ruts that we are working with are about 3 feet deep and 2
> feet
> wide. I'd sure like to talk with someone with expereince before starting or
> at
> least find some literature on the subject. The ruts don't hold water for
> long as
> they are and then only when it rains but they do enable the water to flow
> right
> off the property.
>
> FranksFarm@aol.com wrote:
>
> > Good day all:)
> >
> > Interesting subject!
> > Here in south central Kentucky, USA there are plenty of hills and hollows
> > where drainage channels have been cut over many years.
> >
> > Some are over 10' wide and 8' deep. Most of the time they hold little
> water,
> > but when we have heavy rainfall they drain a lot of water off those hills
> > quickly. Much of the water is dumped on pasture/forest at the foot of the
> > hills making some of the areas wetlands/boggy or puddled.
> >
> > I know that brush, gabions can slow water but I'm not sure if drainages
> are
> > in the right places a la the Yeoman system. I'm also not sure that in
> > tampering with the existing channels might not cause the formation of
> other
> > channels; deepen and widen existing channels or what.
> >
> > Sure like to have some expert advice on this. Look forward to your
> comments.
> >
> > All the best. Frank
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>
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