What is the difference between a berm and a swale?
A vegetated swale is a grass-lined depression that slows down runoff water velocity and infiltrates the water into the soil. Berms are low earthen walls adjacent to ditches that can be used to help retain runoff in a designated area along the downhill side of the locaon.
What is a swale permaculture?
A permaculture swale is a shallow trench dug along the land’s contour, with a berm on the downhill side created with soil from the trench. All points along a contour line are exactly the same height above sea level. Permaculture swales can ease the effort of food production while improving the local ecology.
How do you make a swale and berm?
The general idea behind digging the swale is that it should be about three-times as wide as it is deep, and the berm—the pile of excavated dirt—should be mounded to create the upper part of the bottom side of the swale. Make sure that the base of the swale is level so that the water disperses evenly.
When should you not use swales?
Swales are not appropriate on steep landscapes. Any area with more than a fifteen-degree slope (about 1:3.75) isn’t appropriate for installing swales, as the water saturation may cause slides, which could be dangerous.
What is the main purpose of a berm?
Berms prevent off-site sedimentation by diverting runoff to a sediment trapping device and can also be used to divert clean water from entering a disturbed area. They can also trap sediment by ponding and settling out sheet flow runoff, or by filtering sediment as runoff passes through permeable berms.
Do berms reduce noise?
Answer: Earth berms can be an effective way to help lower sound levels from a neighboring property line. Studies have shown that an earth berm is about 2 dBA less effective at reducing noise than a sound wall erected at the same height.
What are swales used for?
WHAT IS A SWALE? Swales are one of the most commonly used stormwater practices. For many years they have been used along rural highways and residential streets to convey runoff. Today, swales not only convey stormwater but also help to treat runoff to reduce pollutants.
What can you plant on a berm?
Here are some great ideas for plants for berms:
- Arborvitae. For screening and windbreaks, you’ll want some type of tree.
- Rose of Sharon.
- Hackberry.
- Native grasses.
- Cacti and succulents.
- Perennial flowers.
What do you fill swale with?
The berm is the best place to plant fruit trees, berry bushes, vine, herbs, flowers, and anything else that likes loose, rich soil, but requires excellent drainage. Over time the swale basin will fill in with loose soil and organic matter, creating a rich reserve of nutrients for the roots of the plants to tap into.
What can I plant in swales?
The bottom of the swale basin is only suitable for plants that thrive on high moisture levels, such as wetland species like reed and sedges. However, clover, most grasses, comfrey, and numerous other plants will tolerate the occasional inundation that occurs at the bottom of a swale.
What do you mean by Swale in permaculture?
A swale indeed in practical terms is a ditch and mound, or berm and basin, on contour. Contour being the key here as swales, unlike diversion drains, are meant to infiltrate water not move them around such as what a canal or water channel would do.
What is the difference between a swale and a berm?
A swale is a long, shallow dug-out trench, running level along the contour of a slope, with an adjacent berm on the downhill side. The “berm” is a soft mound made of loosely piled, non-compacted soil which acts as a retaining wall.
What is the purpose of a berm in permaculture?
The “berm” is a soft mound made of loosely piled, non-compacted soil which acts as a retaining wall. On contour means following the progressive decrease in the height of the land at regular, level intervals, which mark the boundary, outline, or shape of the land. The purpose of a swale is to harvest water passively.
Why do you need a swale in your garden?
That’s why compost and mulch are so important. Anyway, back to swales. A swale is a sort of ditch, which is dug ‘on contour’, to catch the rainwater before it runs away, and soak it into the soil. The more water that is soaked into the soil, the less supplemental water is needed to water what is growing in the soil. Makes perfect sense, right?