Water Cycle Restoration

One of a range of nature-based infrastructure strategies designed to reverse gully erosion, slow and spread stormwater, reduce flooding, reconnect gullies with their floodplains, increase landscape hydration and groundwater recharge, and support the revival of wetlands and the restoration of degraded landscapes.

Exploring rock armoring of inlets and spillways, with the potential to complete additional rock check dam work. We’ll also look at key swale, basin/pond, and spillway design considerations, focusing on how to work with water flow, erosion, and landscape contours to create durable, functional earthworks.

Using a range of nature-based watershed restoration strategies—including gully stuffing, log check dams, one-rock dams, and other low-tech interventions—we’ll tend the woodland and watershed above the farm to slow and spread water, increase landscape hydration, revive old or ephemeral wetlands and springs, reduce erosion and flooding, and build greater fire resilience. Depending on rainfall and site conditions, we may also plant cuttings and plugs to support the restoration of these wetland and watershed systems.

 We’ll use a laser level and hand tools to re-grade a contour swale trough to approximately 1% off-contour, with the potential to also work on spillway construction and rock armoring to improve water flow, stability, and resilience.