Harvesting Water the Permaculture Way with Geoff Lawton - DVD

The 63 minutes DVD takes the audience on a tour, along with Geoff and his students, to explain the process of creating a dam from start to finish. The location of the project is at one of Geoff's former students in Woolgoolga, New South Wales. They walk the viewers across the property to establish their strategy for passive water harvesting.

Preview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEILgnK3vTg

Summary

Credits: Summary prepared by James Graham

Geoff determines its strengths and weaknesses and with the aid of computer graphics we see the plan of the site and its creative options take shape. The students mark out the intended construction with the use of a laser and dumpy level. Following the mark out, a tilt bucket excavator handles the job of creating a dam and swale. While digging, Geoff emphasizes the need to properly build a keyway and the importance of the soil structure for retention of water. Other key points that are pointed out are compaction of the soil, height of the dam wall and the availability of materials needed to complete the work.

On the third day of operation, Geoff and the students overcome a hurdle because of the lack of material needed to build the dam wall. A slight recalibration of the swales lines and new wall height manages the problem. After the major excavation, the viewers are shown the connection of the swales and the construction of the level sillway.

The DVD concludes with the dam and swales collecting water from rainfall. Also, Geoff shares the principle of water harvesting. Take the longest path over the most distance.

Where to get it?

Ecofilms
Green Shopping

Related Books and Magazines

Rainwater Harvesting Drylands Vol. 1
by Brad Lancaster

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk
Powells.com

Rainwater Harvesting Drylands Vol. 2
by Brad Lancaster

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk
Powells.com


Related Podcasts

Paul Wheaton Permaculture Podcast #045 Water Harvesting Ponds Alternative Energy

Related Videos

The Swale Plume
Level Sillway


Related Threads

Reservoir Help thread at Permies
Flood irrigation and contouring thread at Permies

Related Websites

Geoff Lawton's website

Very cool, but why does the cover look like a bling-bling rap album?

Very cool, but why does the cover look like a bling-bling rap album?

Hehe, very true. It always makes me giggle that Permaculture is a design based system whose Achilles heal is within desktop publishing design and how to present itself to the layman.

I find all of Geoff's videos excellent and inspiring and this one really got me hooked on the importance of water design.

At the end of the video (made in 2008 ), are some still shots of the site (presumably taken by the owner) showing the dam and swales filling up and the early succession plants establishing themselves. I would have loved to have seen Geoffs comments of the site as it developed and really hope he will revisit the site on its 4th or 5th anniversary and make a brief follow up, similar in style to his 300 and 2000 year old food forest shorts.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ZgzwoQ-ao[/youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hftgWcD-1Nw[/youtube]

Jason Nicoll wrote: I would have loved to have seen Geoffs comments of the site as it developed and really hope he will revisit the site on its 4th or 5th anniversary and make a brief follow up, similar in style to his 300 and 2000 year old food forest shorts.

Me, too. I'd like to see/hear the long term outcome. I even tried looking at Google Earth to see if there was any difference. The imagery date is 9/26/2012 but I can't see anything except a new interstate about a third of a mile from his home.