Ponds and swales, step by step
Interactive lesson: stop the rain on your land — humus and mulch, an A-frame level, a swale on contour and a pond that holds water and is safe for children.
Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Ponds and water retention module. Already bought? Unlock
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The whole lesson as text
1. Soil is the tank
The biggest tank on a homestead isn't made of concrete, it's made of soil.
- Slow it, spread it, sink it — The order is always the same: humus and mulch first, then swales on contour, then the pond.
- 1 mm of rain — 1 mm of rain is 1 L of water per m² of ground. A hectare of good soil holds 1,500–2,000 m³ of water, more than any tank you could build.
- Covered soil and humus — Under mulch, rain doesn't hit bare earth and doesn't form a crust. Add compost and manure every year; the roots of perennials make channels in the soil.
- Infiltration test — Push a tin can with both ends removed 5 cm into the ground, pour in 0.5 L of water and time how long it takes to soak in. Do it on bare ground, under mulch and on a path: the difference is often tenfold.
Why: A loam one metre deep can hold roughly 150–200 mm of water that plants can use; sand holds only a third of that. But only if the water gets into the soil instead of running off the surface.
- Don't trample or drive heavy machinery on wet ground: compacted soil doesn't soak anything up.
- Make rows, beds and ditches across the slope, never up and down it.
2. Where water flows
Before you lift a spade, go out during heavy rain.
- Raincoat and phone — Walk the land during heavy rain. Take photos and note where the water comes from and where it goes.
- Rills and gullies — Water moves fast and carries soil away. Swales on contour, grass and mulch help.
- Puddles and wet spots — A puddle that stands for days means the soil doesn't absorb. A wet spot in summer, with rushes and sedges, means a spring or a high water table: a site for a wildlife pond or spring capping.
- Signs of a landslip — Cracks in the ground and leaning trees mean a possible landslip. Don't hold water there; ask a specialist.
Why: Watch where water comes onto the plot, where it flows, where it collects and where it carries soil away. That is the only real water plan.
- Mark everything on the water map; if you have the homestead map from H01-03, use that.
- Water from the road or the neighbour's land: a ditch to divert it and an agreement with the neighbour.
3. A-frame level · Locked
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4. Swale on contour · Locked
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5. Wildlife pond and pond site · Locked
Buy the Ponds and water retention module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.
6. Liner and safety · Locked
Buy the Ponds and water retention module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.