Well, it did not take long for our new “pond” to fill.

Overnight it filled with another 20-30 mm of rainfall. Now in the last 6 days we are approaching 150 mm (6 inches) of rain. Now I am thinking less about swales and more about drains. This building is at the foot of a slope and has received a lot of water in the past.

The rubble road we are building also acts as a drain for this building made of steel and wood – neither of which like water.

The water flows away from the shed and also away from the house, which suffers from serious drainage issues at the moment.

The swale has actually decreased the amount of water flowing through this gate and down the drive toward the house. That alone is a huge benefit of the swale.

Closer to home, the drain I finished last weekend is working well. It takes the water coming down the concrete pad next to the house…

…and directs it under the house…

…through a bicycle water bottle adapter (no joke) and into novoflow flexible piping under the house and out the other side.        

With water it always seems like too much or too little, and the climate scientists warn us that we’ll be getting more of both in the future. Buckle up for a bumpy ride.

Peace, Estwing