One observation. Instead of repositioning displaced check dam rocks, try leaving them as they are and add rocks to it. Once water has moved the original rocks and silted in around them, they're not going anywhere. Adding new rocks will simply fortify the dam. Whereas repositioning displaced rocks is effectively starting over...nature has told you where the rocks belong, all you have to do is observe/listen😉
@TNT-ml1ll
11 ай бұрын
Yea whole point of check dam is also slowing down water flow, not to stop it. Bcs you if you completely stop water there it would find the way around it and carve channels around dams.
@xSpiderswebx
11 ай бұрын
I totally agree with this. It's also a better plan to put the larger rocks on the bottom to serve as a sort of foundation. If you put them on the top like you did in your quick repair at 2:40ish mark, they will just topple off the smaller rocks underneath. So use the large rocks as the foundation, and the smaller rocks behind them so the water pushes them against the foundation as it flows. It's better in the beginning to allow the water to trickle through it instead of completely plugging it, or your dams will be washed away or the banks eroded. Give it a year for the silt to creep in and the rocks to settle into place. As much as everyone wants things to be "perfect" now, you just gotta give it time. One last thing I just thought of: If you dig a pool a few feet behind where your check dams are, that will slow the water down before hitting the dam, which would help with water retention too. That can be a lot of work though, so maybe just try it with the check dams that are consistently washing out to see how it helps.
@martinwinther6013
11 ай бұрын
aye. Need more material, pulled in from the nearby slopes. Will heighten the damn while even out the surrounds(if only ever so slightly). Stack em nice n tight, but keep adding: Dont keep re-using. And dont be afraid to use bigger rocks/boulders on the front, while using finer material to block the small holes from the rear. Should use "2hand rocks" that interlocks on the front, and gravel/pebbles from the rear. Them applesized pebbles aint no good as foundation.
@spookyduzit
11 ай бұрын
Yes and add smaller rock to fill the gaps
@danqualman1
11 ай бұрын
Weed fabric in front of the rock dam will stop almost all of the silt. If you could get a truck load of hay bales to stake into the gully with weed fabric in front of it will stop all of the silt. I have done this to check erosion on land management programs I have worked on to to slow erosion. The hay will eventually break down and any seeds in the hay will sprout.
@scottrhoades
11 ай бұрын
I'm a veteran rock dam builder and I thought you might appreciate some extra guidance. I've successfully created dams that can rise the water in a stream by two feet for swimming. Your check dams keep falling over because you are not giving them a good foundation. First, they simply aren't thick enough. Water weighs about 8-1/2 pounds per gallon and the dams need to be able to take all that weight coming against it at speed. If you continue with building single rows of rocks, you will forever be rebuilding them. Start with your biggest rocks on the bottom. Place them in two rows on a bed of small stones or gravel to give them a good foundation. On the downstream row, build up the front of the dam with more large stones. As large of rocks that as you can manage. The face of the damn should slope towards the upstream side a bit. Both of these foundation rows should cut far into the banks on either side. As far as you want the water to collect at the sides. Placing rocks on dirt or mud on the wings will not work for long since the path of least resistance will washing the dirt away, compromising your foundation. Don't worry about any gaps for now. On top of the upstream row, place medium sized rocks, building it up to the height of the downstream wall. Continue to build layers upstream with the rocks of each successive layer being smaller than the last, When they are small enough that they can no longer stack easily, pile the rocks in a slope from the top of the last stacked row to the upstream bed. The lip of the dam at its center should always be lower than where it meets the banks. That way, overflow with occur in the center instead of washing out the banks on the sides. The slope also redirects some of the force of the water hitting it when a vertical wall would take the hit straight on. Now take gravel and pour it in any gaps in the slope as well as in gaps between layers or individual stones. From the most downstream edge to the upstream pile should be about 3 or 4 feet. So the basic idea is that medium rocks are held back by the large rocks, filling big gaps and then each step down in size fills gaps in the previous row. The gravel serves two purposes. The obvious one is that it physically blocks water. The smaller gaps between the gravel will fill with dirt or silt, causing the water to rise. You can speed it along by putting dead plant material, like leaves and grasses, where the water will collect. Once the gravel slope is eventually clogged, silt will build up and the water will flow over the top of the upstream rows. This mitigates erosion on the downstream side since the extra water will spill down through the top of the first couple rows instead of spilling over the face and carving into the bedstream, weakening the foundation. A large flat stone or bed of smaller stones at the foot of the downstream dam face can also help prevent erosion for those occasions there is more water flowing than the dam can hold. I hope this advice is helpful to you and I look forward to seeing how you progress.
@tjappiekonjo1097
11 ай бұрын
Great advice.
@alexarockman3999
11 ай бұрын
this is amazingly informative, clear, and thorough!
@ohkeydokeythen
11 ай бұрын
This guy know what hes talking about
@sdesytfcanon
11 ай бұрын
Totally agree! Simply put they are too skinny and wouldn’t withstand a hard downpour. He should invest in a mini excavator for this type of work at the scale he on.
@johnbarker419
11 ай бұрын
Great advice.
@petecoolican1643
11 ай бұрын
Be the beaver Shaun. Be the beaver.
@TomBTerrific
11 ай бұрын
Hahaha a beaver has instinct and experience going for it!
@NezumiWorks
11 ай бұрын
@@TomBTerrific Humans have a pretty good grasp on what the beaver does these days, and human-made Beaver Dam Analogues are commonly used in river restoration projects where they aren't available, to good effect. Which is the case here, there simply isn't an environment beavers can live in at this point, so you gotta make do.
@vulantrysgoldsky3116
11 ай бұрын
Shaun , can you imagine how much water you got into the ground with your little walk in sandles trapped? Making the dams was important but the " micro management dam fixing has non-micro results!. Do the beaver thing.
@NezumiWorks
11 ай бұрын
@@vulantrysgoldsky3116 On that note, there's a lot you can do just by digging a half-inch deep trench on contour with a shovel. Just skim off a bit, put the material on the downslope side, and observe what happens next time it rains. You don't necessarily need big earthmoving gear to start a change.
@brentr7947
9 ай бұрын
Import some bevers from the Utah desert
@saconomics
11 ай бұрын
Try using cardboard behind the check-dam to prevent the bottom from leaking. a few layers should provide enough protection to keep it from leaking until the silt builds up. Better than geotextiles because eventually it's all soil.
@zombi3907
11 ай бұрын
this. Cardboard is used in a permaculture design method called sheet composting which uses cardboard in layers and it decomposes after a while harmlessly.
@veramae4098
11 ай бұрын
Cardboard will also degrade right into the soil. In Michigan, I use it as a weed barrier in my flower beds and eventually have to replace it.
@Brineytoes
11 ай бұрын
@@zombi3907 And worms love cardboard! You need earthworms to provide castings for plant nutrition! They build fabulous soil.
@ourrockydreamontheelephant4188
11 ай бұрын
I would also put the large rocks on bottom.
@OperationDarkside
11 ай бұрын
Some cardboard types have plastic in them from what I've heard in the composting community.
@danieldilger9203
11 ай бұрын
Congratulations on dust ups being replaced by rain ups for a episode. Good to see your joy.
@dustupstexas
11 ай бұрын
😀
@estebancorral5151
7 ай бұрын
Shaun, you totally ignore a weather report and go into the desert. Do that often and you will be a feast for the vultures
@stephenwire
11 ай бұрын
To help the check dams and bank last longer They should be constructed with more of a V shape than just a straight line. That will help smoothly funnel the water away from the bank towards the center of the dam. Right now all the water hits the flat line of the dam, becomes turbulent, and pushes sideways. Any weak areas along the bank will then fail first. With a V shaped dam the bank near it will be lined with rock slowing down the water in that area which also reduces erosion. Lets say you currently have a 5 foot wide check dam, starting a foot from each end place rocks going up stream at a 20-30 degree angle from the dam to create a wing wall. Fill in any open area between the dam and wing wall with creek gravel. It will take more rock but it will help stop the water from going around the ends.
@estebancorral5151
7 ай бұрын
Leonardo da Vinci discovered that and incorporated it into his canal lock design.
@lauraw.7008
29 күн бұрын
❤
@ravenrock541
11 ай бұрын
A thought: Right now, you have small narrow channels running into the dams. Try creating a depression just before the dam. This will create a pooling area so that the water will slow down as it runs into it, thus reducing dam erosion. Basically, a large bathtub basin just before the dam.
@ethandoingstuff1433
11 ай бұрын
Need to reinforce the bottom if you do this, or it will undercut your dam.
@ravenrock541
11 ай бұрын
@@ethandoingstuff1433 Even is the bathtub basin is three feet from thd damn?
@WalterHazen-z9p
11 ай бұрын
These are called Phiri Pits But should be places further back from the check dam, next to it will cause undercutting. However I do not recommend them in a transporting gully or wash They will fill up too quickly with sediment.
@wisdomprepper
7 ай бұрын
I'm a prepper/survivalist. I'm learning SO much from not just these videos, but the comments. Thank you Shaun for what you're doing. Keep up the good work.
@jamessang5027
11 ай бұрын
I'm glad that you went during a rainy time to see the flow of water on your property !
@johnenoch2874
11 ай бұрын
Sean, I've been researching several species of Sumac trees. I'm now convinced that they have huge potential to rapidly create micro-climates in your washes and greatly accelerate transformation of your desert wasteland. I'm primarily referring here to the larger species which in five years can reach 10 feet by by ten years reach 20 - 30 feet in both height and diameter. But there are also sumac species which grow only 2 - 6 feet tall, The smaller species would retain your soil in but would not reach heights jointly creating local canopies a under which microclimates would exist. Other than the undesirable "poison sumac" (which grows only in wetlands anyway) most species are extremely drought tolerant and spread rapidly through underground rhizomes covering large, open spaces, forming colonies - and jungle-style canopies! The large African sumac thrives in Arizona and might be the easiest to get started there. But even the species found in wet temperate climates around the world (and here New England), once established, will thrive and reproduce rapidly. The familiar red fruits will attract wildlife, including birds, which will spread the seeds. In your situation I would create a conveniently located wire-caged nursery with hundreds of seedlings -- perhaps mostly African (grows 2 feet per year, can reach 30 feet tall) and staghorn sumacs (reach 15 to 25 feet tall, but might need more care to get established in the first year or two in your desert), protect them from herbivores, water them for a few months, maybe a year, and then plant them in a half dozen or more washes, in groups of ten or more, each group clustered closely enough to quickly establish micro-micro climates utilizing each other's respiratory moisture (perhaps one square yard per seedling at first, with the option of transplanting half of them when they have begun to compete with each other. When you plant your seedlings in erosion-prone washes try staking 8' x 12' sections of chicken wire to the soil, and planting the seedlings in the wire mesh to protect them from floodwaters while they get their roots down deep enough to survive heavy rains. You might have to cut wire from around their bases after two or three years of growth so they won't be choked by the chicken wire when their trunks exceed two inches in diameter. A reply would be appreciated if you find this interesting. - JH
@estebancorral5151
7 ай бұрын
Tell me my budding dendrologist, what is the scientific name of the sumac which eaten as a delicacy in Turkey.
@johnenoch2874
7 ай бұрын
"Eaten as a delicacy?" I assume you mean that a spice is made from the seeds throughout the Middle East. Or are you referring to the sumac "leaves" that some people eat when they are very small and tender in the spring? I've tried them. Not great. Edible. A delicacy? Maybe there's some way to prepare them...? What am I missing about this delicacy? @@estebancorral5151
@Stonewallx39
11 ай бұрын
It’s a super important step of the process to observe the land. Definitely awesome you got to be out there during this to see and better understand. It’s seems like that dry gravely soil infiltrates at a pretty high rate. Makes me wonder if there’s a spring or subsurface water you could tap with a solar well which you could use to keep animals on the property.
@martinwinther6013
11 ай бұрын
Make sure its directed directly into the system. Or at least : Have to make sure you want to establish a permanent watersource on the surface, and make sure you understand what it potentially could include. This is wasteland, sometimes used by smuglers. If they get a hold that theres water, then you have potentially just opend a new route for human traficking. - I think it would be a gesture, but thats just me. Either way, its a thing you kinda have to include if you want it or not
@dsmith2858
11 ай бұрын
Those sandals make me nervous! I call it “unforced errors”. Those are for a hotel room, pool, or home. Not for the environment you are in. Snakebite, twisted ankle, any small incident in that isolated environment can quickly turn into something MUCH larger.
@tobymlyte
11 ай бұрын
Fantastic to see the check dams working. I'm very impressed with this project. I really look forward to coming along on the journey with you.
@johnpendergraph6952
11 ай бұрын
Try burlap behind the check dams. Cheap and easy to find. Geo textile will eventually breakdown and leave you with micro plastics.
@vulantrysgoldsky3116
11 ай бұрын
Avoid plastics, organics will degrade eventually but not turn into micro plastic poison
@I-webdesignerCoUk
11 ай бұрын
Micro plastics are the last thing you need in your soil, or heading on out to the ocean. Take a look at how a beaver builds its dams. They really know how to mix in organic material to slow down river flow.
@uribove
4 ай бұрын
Or you know, just plant material he has on the land already.
@patrickmcsweeney5043
11 ай бұрын
Shaun thanks for sharing. When I worked on a park in South Texas we used bags of cement to channel and hold water. It can be a bit expensive. Maybe you could use sandbags with a mixture of sand and clay as the base for your check dams? That should stop most of the water from just passing through.
@NezumiWorks
11 ай бұрын
Letting the water pass through is a good thing with check dams, as making a pond and keeping the water isn't the goal. You're trying to "check" the speed of the water flowing down the channel, which makes silt fall out of solution onto the creek bed and eventually build up.
@mathiasfriman8927
11 ай бұрын
I love these videos, keep'em coming! If Oxford Canyon is yours, you should get some tips from Bill Zeedyk & Van Clothiers' book "Let the water do the work" and start to build angled baffles to Induce Meandering into the stream. If the canyon is not on your property, you should really contact whoever owns it and do a joint effort. That's a LOT of water more or less wasted. :) Come to think of it, you should get that book regardless, it is full of knowledge that will do your project much more successful.
@dustupstexas
11 ай бұрын
It's a protected waterway
@beelot1511
11 ай бұрын
You are now the beaver sir. good job.
@adddude7524
11 ай бұрын
Dear Shaun, thank you so much for your videos. As I've been bed-bound from Covid for 2 years now, videos like these are a way to see things outside my bedroom. I've always wanted to do something like this - adapting a (much smaller) property to changing climate and making it more robust and livable. Now I can live that a little through you. Fascinating stuff and I like your style of documenting the process!
@veramae4098
11 ай бұрын
If you like building stuff too, check out "Tokyo Llama". He and his Japanese wife bought an abandoned (stunning) house in Japan and over 4 years of hard work he's almost done. Japan was nearly closed to immigration but has suddenly looked at statistics and realized immigration is the only way to keep their country strong.
@angelofamillionyears4599
11 ай бұрын
adddude- Increase d 3. walk in the sun daily for 2 hours with no shirt and walk in the forest. take d3. ester c and zinc daily. eat 90% fruits and veggies and only drink spring water. make celery juice and drink on emply stomach in the am. read books about celer y ju ice. thanks
@marcosmota1094
11 ай бұрын
I knew that rains would come your way, and boost your morale. You're a cool dude, Shawn and all the way from NYC, I wish you nothing but the best.
@kevinjames4405
11 ай бұрын
clay on the backside of the dams could be a cheap way to reinforce, depending what kind of soil you have on the property
@hardwareful
11 ай бұрын
larger settling ponds could be used to trap silt / clay which then later can be used for more construction projects.
@TwoFingeredMamma
11 ай бұрын
😮 Clay is made of the finest particles. Are you planning on firing the clay dam in a mobile kiln to harden it? 8 thumbs up, oh my days!!!! 😆
@roo-dog3484
11 ай бұрын
@twofingeredmamma - clay is used to seal up the bottom of ponds! It's great as is and holds water extremely well. So much so that it's very hard to garden in clay soils as it stays so wet and doesn't drain. When it dries it's like concrete its so hard!
@NezumiWorks
11 ай бұрын
Sealing isn't what he needs to be doing here, unless he's trying to make a pond. You want water to be able to leak through and over the dam, just slowed down enough that material will drop out and deposit as silt. The trick here is to have many of these leaky dams slowing things down all along the way.
@DaDunge
11 ай бұрын
@@roo-dog3484 Clay is great at stopping the leakage of stationary water but the particles are very light and moving water will start removing them.
@arlinviljoen6637
11 ай бұрын
Seeing the green landscape and the subtle, steady improvements is inspiring and uplifting. Go forth and conquer.
@MarkCW
7 ай бұрын
This reminds me of some of my happiest times going down to the local brook with my brother and making a dam with rocks so that I could catch more sticklebacks and stone loaches.
@maartendeen8404
11 ай бұрын
I don't know if any grasses will grow there, but they are excellent in keeping soil together and preventing run-off. What would be ideal if the check-dams were planted with grass.
@mrgreeneggs6191
11 ай бұрын
quick tip bro. I've built a few sediment catching walls in the Australian tropics. in high water flow Straight walls get pushed over. Arched walls do better. Put the arch is up towards the flow. also try and V the walls. making the sides higher and the middle point lower (for areas expecting flooding consider making the side walls at least a meter higher). fill the gaps with smaller rocks and then gravel between those gaps then clay soils. eventually the sediment will fill the holes in.
@lordhostile
5 ай бұрын
I love the sound and smell of rain in the desert. nice work!
@MarkusHaderer
7 ай бұрын
Besides of the hints of all the other helpful posters, I want to recommend including dried gras and woodsticks IN the center of your dams - from ground up. The more, the better. This is important to give the smallest pieces of gravel a chance to get stuck IN the dam. You'll see, it's easy to do and has great affect to the dam. Keep on doing your amazing work - I wish you good luck to get the desert green! :)
@CriticalThinkingGuy
11 ай бұрын
To protect the banks from eroding you can either dig out and set rocks in the banks (high labor input) or line the river bed walls upstream of check dam, higher than your spillway. Also suggest lining the spillway from your road with rocks to stop erosion. Hope you can add a retention pond one day.👍
@le_th_
11 ай бұрын
As a native Texan, just the mention of Harvey made me retract and suck air in briefly, even though I know it wasn't Harvey. Harvey was brutal to south TX (and FL). I didn't even live there when Harvey hit, but the name just makes me wince. Making tiny dams as a kid was fun when playing outside. lol Who knew you'd be building them on your own land as an adult while rinsing your French press coffee maker in the rainwater. lol Some comforts we just can't give up.
@dustupstexas
11 ай бұрын
Nope! It's in our bones
@guillermodelnoche
11 ай бұрын
If you can find a local source of clay you can use that to secure your check dam’s like they do when building ponds. Once it hardens it holds water perfectly. Great job!
@olsim1730
11 ай бұрын
They're called check dams not stop dams. He doesn't want the water to stop, just to slow down 🤙
@guillermodelnoche
11 ай бұрын
@@olsim1730 he asked how to seal them. Clay organically seals them. Your input brings zero value to the conversation at hand.
@lorettarussell3235
11 ай бұрын
@@guillermodelnoche Shaun needs to learn more about how to correctly build check dams & their purpose. He needs to slow down the water & reduce the flow force to allow silt to naturally fill in the gaps between the stones. The goal is to keeps the water longer on the ground to allow it to soak into the ground instead of just flowing by. He is trying to hydrate the ground to allow plants to grow. It is a process that takes time. Patience is needed.
@guillermodelnoche
11 ай бұрын
@@lorettarussell3235 I’m completely aware of how this works. I have successfully rerouted water into my water tables using stone stack check dams. I used red clay from 10 miles away to make a bowl shape that held the water against the dam, didn’t erode the sides of my wash and I have an extreme amount of flowers and grass due to it in two years. I’m telling him that clay is a great natural resource to hold the water at a location and allow the excess to overflow not damaging the dam. I have done this successfully. I appreciate you explaining what he is doing but I assure you it works in actuality.
@sundancer442
11 ай бұрын
Hey there; I live in the Sth. Australian desert, and I love your posts. Keep em coming.
@SopaDeLengua
7 ай бұрын
I might be sitting on the couch watching this alone, but it feels like I’m talking to someone! Thanks for what you do!
@rockingredpoppy9119
11 ай бұрын
Use clay in and around your rocks, that should plug the dams up.
@Technoanima
11 ай бұрын
Don't forget the branches and deadwood to build over the dam.
@carstenk2552
11 ай бұрын
When ever tightening a dam, you hold more water. More water has more potential to destroy your dam. Shaun is doing great in also strengthening the banks and widening it. You want a slow and steady flow over as wide as you can get it. That's why they build weirs often in a zig zag pattern.
@rahulmore4584
11 ай бұрын
Or cow dung With those shrubs green leaves.. Even after, cow dung work as natural manure..
@NezumiWorks
11 ай бұрын
*Should* he be plugging the dams up? The idea here is to slow the water, not make a deep pond (which might be an option further down the line). Better to add more rocks on the downstream side to thicken the dam and slow the water that much more and add stability.
@rockingredpoppy9119
11 ай бұрын
@@NezumiWorks with clay you can plug as much as you want or don't want. Clay is versitile.
@NevaOutdoors
11 ай бұрын
Hope this reaches you because I was watching your video just wishing I could assist and get my own hands dirty. I like watching your thought process and think you’d be a cool dude to work with on something like this. I think overall you have a good grasp of where the rain is funneling to and going however something’s i have done my self and experienced is that the rain will continue to penetrate through the dams unless you you use a variety of sized rocks down to sand. Fabrics or weed mats may work but I’ve personally seen a variety use of materials while construction like sand and small rocks and big rocks all intertwined the dams would be retaining a lot more water. Let me know if that helps. Love to hear more about it!
@he7is7at7hand
11 ай бұрын
Well, you are talking to us. I like playing the water like that. Your dams are working!
@XxLenasXx
11 ай бұрын
You are doing what we all would like to be doing. Keep up the effort
@valeriehufnagle883
11 ай бұрын
Do you think that earthbags used as the core for your check dams might help with reducing the leaks? Also have you considered using the billboard tarps as a water catchment for your camp and for building purposes?
@timelston4260
11 ай бұрын
You said you're out in the desert talking to no one, and I'm in my living room alone listening to no one, but it very much feels like you're talking to me, so I think it's working.
@edwardpawley3061
11 ай бұрын
Find some clay on the property and line the inside of your check dams with it.
@maximbollansee
14 күн бұрын
Very happy to see it finally raining!
@richardahlquist5839
11 ай бұрын
You might try some bentonite clay for sealing your small damns. Check and make sure there is no local regs against it, but you could dump a small amount on the back of each damn, dry and as it hydrates it expands in size. They use it in wells and to seal ponds.
@olsim1730
11 ай бұрын
He doesn't want them sealed
@TheMadManPlace
11 ай бұрын
What about using old car tires to build the catch walls? If you cut out one sidewall then you basically have a large cup that you can fill with sand/rocks and if you stagger them and drive rebar thru the other sidewall it should be stable enough to hold until nature seals the passageways. Silt will drop out and plant life can then establish itself to bind the soil. I have seen this method used in the Karoo area of South Africa with surprisingly good results especially when the farmer is trying to stop deep soil erosion caused by flash floods as a result of heavy short downpours over arid land. I recently heard that the tire barriers that I saw can no longer be seen because the vegetation has taken over simply because the soil is no longer being washed away from the roots and it would seem that small pockets of groundwater are being formed that are becoming enough to last the entire dry season. Good luck. Watching with great interest.
@regularguy8110
11 ай бұрын
Great video and update. Enjoyed seeing it during a rain.
@knutvreb6506
11 ай бұрын
Instead of putting sediment on the front of the check dam you should put it behind where the rocks will help hold them it back. Putting them in the front the water will just wash it away. And I agree with those saying you should reinforce the dam instead of moving the rocks. Good luck :)
@locutia7
11 ай бұрын
It's encouraging that the water is slowing down enough to pool. I suspect some of the impoundments need to be much larger. Woodfalls and cardboard could be helpful. Also desert grass seed mix may be a good thing to buy and keep in stock as well.
@hamongog
7 ай бұрын
Hopefully this will be another video of OP walking around. Those are the best!
@Janer-52
11 ай бұрын
Beautiful water. So nice to see all the hard work has begun to pay off.
@jaytuberr
11 ай бұрын
Check dams are one of those things you want a lot of to work effectively but also require a decent amount of attention if you want to see immediate success, take the standard pickup truck shape and imagine that as the cross section of the check dam, 1-2 rocks laying on the ground behind the dam, then a dam 2-3 times the height, then about a foot extending outwards of more rocks on the ground in front, this can be scaled however you need. All of those rocks directly on the ground, especially if placed together with as little space as possible, will trap silt on the first rain and eliminate the problem of undercutting and later reinforce the ground in front once water starts to flow over
@philpark8059
11 ай бұрын
I’m so loving this channel, thank you very much Shaun
@joshavenpotter6045
11 ай бұрын
Keep up the good work. It’s fun to learn along with you.
@HowieWeberg
11 ай бұрын
Use small tarps on the upstream side with gravel on the edge to prevent the water from going under the tarp! If you talked with someone who has done flood irrigation you’ll get a good idea of how to best construct your dams! Can’t wait to see the end results! Good luck my friend!
@MisaMcAnallen
7 ай бұрын
I read somewhere that people tend to overestimate the changes that can happen in 1 year, but underestimate changes that can happen in 5+ years. I think you'll be amazed when you look back at what changes here.
@kathyhallock2528
5 ай бұрын
@Scott...... Has excellent advice.
@applereaper999
7 ай бұрын
A while ago I found someone in Australia doing someone similar to what your attempting to do. Instead of using dams to stop/hold water, they were using multiple dams to slow the flowing water speed which gives the water a chance to sulk into the ground.
@miriamserra8386
10 ай бұрын
In Brazil, there is a project used to retain water in the soil, and reduce the speed of rain, where half-moon holes measuring around one meter in circumference are dug. The results were super positive.
@niyo2388
8 ай бұрын
These USA desserts even have some rainfall? This is so amazing. Great work.
@GilliganMGCrebs
11 ай бұрын
I work on a desert ranch in the Big Bend region and we have dams to collect water for the local fauna and livestock.. The biggest problem you have with all of the check dams is they are WAY TO SMALL. You need to at minimum triple the thickness and double the height for each dam. Additionally as your building the dams add a couple of shovels of the dirt between the rocks for the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the dam. The top third should just be larger rocks, that are big and heavy enough to not get washed away but with enough gaps to allow overflow water to flow though and not top or wash the sides away of the dirt on the dam sides. Hope that helps.
@davidnacey7281
Ай бұрын
They're called boots. Invest in a pair. Don't worry, you know we still love ya! So, I'm going through all your back videos as a new subscriber and I hope you get to read some of my comments, because I don't think you have a water loss problem at all. Most of your water will end up in your normally dry creek bed, off of which you can build a siphon and distribute the contents to a type of catchment basin they call a "dirt tank" in other areas. I'd suggest you go to some meetings of the local soil and water conservation district and talk to the board members and ranchers in the area for help and suggestions. Getting rid of invasive species like salt cedar (though it doesn't look like you have much of that) and other species that have up to 10X the mass in the root system of that of the above ground plant growth will take humongous pressure off the water table. Also, I can assure you that the damage to your check dams was done by hogs. They will be the bain of your whole project. You'll know they're there, because the adults leave approximately human sized and shaped, uh, what's the word they use, "biscuits". Oh, hell, I'll just say it, "shit". They travel in family packs and usually one breeding pair has about 10 or so per litter. Yeah, big problem. You can always hire Ted Nugent and his helicopter hunters.
@DaDunge
11 ай бұрын
2:45 Likely the water eroded the soil around it. It's what happens when you don't slow down the water enough, if you allow the water to freefall from the far end of the barrier it gets all the momentum back it need to come down with a gradual slope that way you have friciton all the way.
@ramonbenitez1323
11 ай бұрын
Always exited to see rain and honestly I can’t wait to see what this place looks like in the future
@graanschuur4267
6 ай бұрын
Poke holes in the ground where is a pool, the water goes down sooner. Nice project 💪👍
@special4076
11 ай бұрын
Great video, Glad your check dams are slowing the water. Remember straight flows go faster and carry more sediment. if your dams are eroding the bank encourage alternating sides of the check dam erosion and the flow will naturally begin to snake its way along and further the slowing and lengthening the flow to catch more sedimentary fines for pooling and sand bars. These curves will begin to dig there own pools.
@nkemalyan
10 ай бұрын
You're doing precisely what is needed. You build the macro-structure, then see it in action. Where the water actually goes is where you need the next step; small stuff. Gravel, small rocks, eventually sand and bio-mass to be the "glue" that plugs the big leaks. A bit of leakage is probably good; takes the pressure off for subsequent surges of water. it's an iterative process; keep adjusting 'til it's right!
@pasadobhikkhu8440
7 ай бұрын
You need a metal rake man....the best tool to walk around with, especially in wet conditions Easily repair and rebuild leaky weirs with. Digging out the up side of the weirs for larger water and silt holding capacity. Dragging up gravel and sand on the up side and down side. Repairing roads by making shallow trenches diagonally across your roads nd drains going of the roads So water channels of in selected places. You rake then spin the rake round and use to compact along the mound made. Also using your foot. Only when damp, this is a very effective basic drainage method. Cut of the end tine of the metal rake leaving the actual crossbar and you have an excellent pick at the rake head for hard areas, small rocks etc. Make sure it has a good hard wood handle. This tool will be your best friend 👍😁
@mzingeler
8 ай бұрын
The methodology of beaver dam analogs might work well as it combines some rocks and stick, branches, etc. worth a try.
@bugvswindshield
Ай бұрын
5:25 what you need is large rocks stacked up in back of damns. Large floods will wipe them out but if you have many behind( not used now) after a 20 year flood you can rebuild quickly. 10 years will crush you now. good luck!
@clarencehopkins7832
9 ай бұрын
Excellent stuff bro
@siameseire
11 ай бұрын
Because of you, there is trickling water. That is such a Profound thing. dsmith is right about the sandals and all the dangers; "unforced errors." When boots aren't appropriate , get sturdy water tennies (more structured than pliable water shoes) but still webbie for water release.
@Bfritz0815
Ай бұрын
Also keep in mind that as the water is held up by the dam, it builds up pressure. The higher the dam, the more pressure, the more forcefully the water will sweep away sand, pebbles and rocks. So for checkdams more smaller dams are better than few larger. Additional consideration: if the dam was completely or highly waterproof, the water would flow over or around it. That would rip away smaller rocks at the top or the loose sediment beside the dam. It's preferable in terms of maintenance to have the water come out somewhere in the mid-height gaps of such a checkdam
@traildude7538
7 ай бұрын
Best method to keep check dams from collapsing is making them nice and wide. Silt and gravel on the upstream side helps, and on the downstream side make a 30° slope with medium rocks on top of gravel. As you start a dam, fill between the bottom rocks with gravel. Another trick is to put an inch or so of hay on the stream bottom and hold it with small rocks; it will catch sediment nicely (with the size of your check dams one standard bale should do for fifty dams) just downstream from the dam [or if you have a paper shredder that can shred thing brown or gray cardboard, that will work on the upstream side of the dam to hold water]. Also keep the middle of the dam lower than the ends! That way if rain hits hard enough to overtop the dam it won't wash out the ends. Ideally the top of the dam should be relatively flat, especially in the middle. BTW, don't excavate material from the downstream side of the dam!
@DarkTiran
11 ай бұрын
Great that you got to see your work in action. From what you showed us in the video and to echo other's comments, it looks like your dams need to be wider and deeper. Also, near the end of the video you were packing the bases of them with what looked like some heavier clay like soil. Doing that to all the dams may help with your goals of backing up the water. Stay safe and keep at it!
@silverfox108
11 ай бұрын
Agree you need to add additional rooks and gravel to reinforce the dams. Fabric in key places would also help
@bartholomewkempis3929
11 ай бұрын
Great observations on the check dams. That is an impressive flow of water. Can't help but wonder if it would be feasible in the dry season to excavate down next to it, off the main stream, with the idea of it filling in the flood and creating a nice little tank pond. Some of those little tank ponds hold 10 lb + large mouth bass (fish eggs get introduced naturally on the feathers of migrating waterfowl). If nothing else, you could do some fishing in your down-time ;-)
@dustupstexas
11 ай бұрын
That'd be a dream
@johncole5175
11 ай бұрын
We use "Silt Fence" for erosion control. When this product is toed in ( buried 6" down and 6" laterally toward the flow" it is very effective and will hold back an amazing amount of water if done properly. Just an idea if you want to improve the rock check dams.
@mzimmerman1988
11 ай бұрын
alternate video title "An average beavers workday". I think you need big rocks to catch small rocks, you need small rocks to catch sand, you need sand to catch dirt, you need dirt to catch water. You adding those small rocks probably helps a lot.
@lemoneyesalt5513
8 ай бұрын
Man i'de love to come spend a week out there helping with this stuff, i'm from Australia though so bit a logistics problem haha! But my best wishes and very cool to see!
@apjm87
11 ай бұрын
Just an idea... get the following (for each check dam) - 4x 4' rebars (1 on each side, then brace them; - 1x 2'x4' section of metal wire mesh/fencing (create a screen in front of the rebars); - some landscape fabric (in front of the metal wire mesh to trap sediments); Once these are up, brace the back of the new dam with all the rocks. Good luck!
@totallypluggedin
11 ай бұрын
Nice Cliff hanger!
@millersadventure
11 ай бұрын
i've seen elsewhere they just put scrub in front of the rocks and it slows down the silt grasses and twigs.
@kenarmfield8577
11 ай бұрын
A suggestion for the check dams to help their longevity: Make them lower in the middle so that there is a built-in spillway for higher flows. This will give the water an escape route through the middle of the check dam so that it's less likely to do an end-around and cut through the side of the channel at the edges of the check dam.
@kenarmfield8577
11 ай бұрын
Same with your roadway check dam -- try to set it up so that WHEN it overtops, it has better chance of surviving. Good Luck, it's cool to see your progress and experiments!
@itsrachelfish
11 ай бұрын
In order to reduce dam leakage - Get a shovel and dig some dirt from the uphill side. This will make the water catchment area larger and the sediment will plug the holes between the rocks
@DavidLawrenceDaley
11 ай бұрын
God I love the desert when it rains. It’s like snow in the mountains
@dustupstexas
11 ай бұрын
Yes, sir!
@CaptainGnarkill
11 ай бұрын
This is getting good
@NodsWorld
6 ай бұрын
Watching an old video wondering about check dams. You've probably already solved it, but ever thought of using the beaver dam method. They put branches, grass, and mud I layers. Layers upon layers help to plug the leaks
@1Sky1
11 ай бұрын
i would stay away from geotextiles. adding in more straw/twigs/dead grasses will help act as a net. from there just keep adding in more clay and gravel, like beavers. if the check dam is thick, that's okay, it'll just make it more stable. i know you've been adding seed, but have you been doing it recently? at least where i am in the south west the rains will be coming soon and even if the grasses don't survive long after the rain, it's biomass that can be added in 1 way or another, and their roots will help rain penetrate the soil while they do live. especially the native grasses that have root systems going down 16+ feet
@trollbot3728
7 ай бұрын
I was just thinking about Beaver Dams watching this. Perhaps a mixture of organic material, rocks, and silt would work as dam material. As the organic material goes from dry to hydrated, it should expand and seal cracks. As it decomposes, it should make a paste.
@stevenclarke2592
11 ай бұрын
You may want to look up drystone walling techniques for the check dams so that they last longer.
@andycapp3499
3 ай бұрын
Have you ever heard of a soakaway. It's something that you'd find in Europe. Basically, it's a wire box filled with large rocks that you bury in just under the ground, which catches the water and lets it drain into the ground naturally. With it being under the surface, it wouldn't disappear by evaporation from wind or sunlight. Just an idea, keep going with all your doing it'll be worth it in the end.
@NodsWorld
11 ай бұрын
Maybe sand bags for the check dams ? Or clay if there's any in your area. Or you can always pour a little bit of cement in front of the rocks
@maxschon7709
11 ай бұрын
Make a layer of cardboards behind the checkdams. They will soak and break but also will hold sand and silt back. You can also use old rags or old cloth. Lay them on the Upstream side of the check dams and they will do the same like the cardboards. You can even put some grass seeds there which will sprode and grow. Nothing expensive because they rod anyway.
@andresherrera3853
7 ай бұрын
One idea for a better dam structure: same rock barrier but then you build a branch, sticks and other similar material in front of it and the you fill that “organic mesh” with smaller rocks, pebbles and then sand. That will mostly seal the bottom and the rocks will hold the structure.
@chrismcnulty2119
11 ай бұрын
A nice steelrake or garden rate could be useful to make those pools bigger every time you check in on you can bowl them out a little more each time small medium on the dam will fill in the small cracks to collect more water and slow down the drainage
@tarwingrill4531
10 ай бұрын
Already made this comment on your other video. You can not stop water with big stones alone. Gravel and stones are usually used to create a flowing path underground. Use stones in the back to provide the strength to resist water push In front of the stones, you need to provide a way to close all the little gaps. Geotextile to block the dirt and in front dirt to block water. Clay is perfect. For 100 % natural, replace geotextiles with weeds/leaves/hay etc... Again: Watch some dams built by beavers - Hire some beavers if you find them - lol
@markmatt9174
7 ай бұрын
Get some Hay Bails. Rebar them in-place back them up w the Rocks. Hay will trap the silt and form a hardpack dam which build up enough and water runs over the bail onto the rocks. It will form larger dams for the water retention.
@katapo777
11 ай бұрын
make the center of the check dam a bit lower than the sides so the water doesnt erode the banks, were you have those deep gullies on incline
@2HighNoon
11 ай бұрын
I’d try burying alternate layers of straw and dirt underneath and a little extending upstream of your check dams. Create a little retention and it’ll compost into soil over time.
@threeriversforge1997
11 ай бұрын
Stopping the flow on a check dam -- What you did was exactly was exactly right. If we look at how beavers build their dams, they excavate the ground immediately upstream of the dam to create a depression. The mud and rocks are then pushed up onto the dam wall to help seal against leaks. What's happening, though, is more than just plugging gaps. By creating a depression like they do, they're forcing the ground to bear the brunt of the water's weight rather than their dam's having to do it. In your build, the ground is sloping downwards until the rock wall appears out of nowhere. If you envision this in cross section, you can see that the column of water is actually resting against the rocks you piled up, and at 8lbs per gallon, that's a lot of weight that's available to push the water through all the nooks and crannies left open during the build. When you dig the depression on the upstream side, it won't be deep enough to take all the weight of the water, but it will help. And because all of the sand, gravel, grit, and silt has been raked up into the dam, plugging all the little voids, well, you get a much bigger pond and less leakage. It won't be perfect, and a lot depends on how much water you're holding back, but you'll see a huge improvement just like you did with scooping handfuls of silt and gravel up on to the upslope face. Keep fighting the good fight. Half the fun is in the learning.
@Isaacmantx
11 ай бұрын
just remember that you don't need super tight rock dams... You aren't looking at stopping up so much water that they overflow. That adds a LOT of pressure and can lead to bank cutting as you have seen. If the dams are stable, the cracks will slowly fill with debris and sediment over time. They almost protect you from a collapse or bank cutting.
@donofon1014
2 ай бұрын
I pondered a bit before... but this episode ? Obsessive Compulsive is a thing. peace and kinship
@christinecoe1827
3 ай бұрын
Place large rocks on bottom and block broad expanse. Then use smaller and smaller rocks. Reinforce the sides further out to sides than you expect water to flow. In fill with sand and gravel up hill. This will also help gather organic matter. You could throw cow pies on up hill side of flow.
@holdmycoffee4470
Ай бұрын
Have you tried bentonite? It's a granular material that absorbs water and swells up. It's used a lot for emergency dam repairs. It's what generic kitty litter and oil dry are made of, not so much "made of" just what it is. Gray brown crumbly material. Not expensive.
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