Can you build swales near a house?
I live in Northern California and my goal is to use swales with a drip line to create a drought tolerant system. The idea was inspired by Geoff Lawton's "Green the Desert" project. However, I am concerned about having a ditch running parallel with the edge just over five feet from the house even though I am 90% sure my house is on the top side of the (extremely minor) slope. Yes, most of the year it shouldn't be a problem, but the couple of months where we do get torrential downpours I don't want to harm the foundation.
We have a relatively large side yard and would like to plant some trees come spring. Thoughts are appreciated.
