How to Build a Permaculture Swale

Geoff Lawton demonstrates the theory and construction of a swale in this video.

A swale is a water harvesting ditch that has a soft mound on the lower slope and follows a natural contour of the land very precisely.

Swales are built to slow down the flow of water and hold it for as long as possible on the property. They allow water to soak gently into the surrounding landscape and rehydrate the soil profile.

When you build a swale you should plant it immediately to take advantage of and fully utilize the moisture rather than allowing it to become a waterlogging hazard downslope. A diverse and “stacked” array of pioneer species (short to long-lived nitrogen-fixing herbage, shrubs and trees) are usually planted, interspersed with hardy or reticulated food producing plants grown on the raised lower bed of the swale. In this way a food forest system can be created, adding value, beauty and natural abundance to your property.

Swales are maintained by slashing weeds and the protein rich foliage of the pioneer species and dumping it into the swale trench to mulch and rot.