michael zediker

Greetings,

I have a bare lot with my home.
I am in the process of designing the yard.  My wife and I have decided to "Plant a Forest."  The yard will be a forest.  Same grasses, weeds, flowers, trees and rocks.  I will manage weeds as needed.
Pond is going to be placed on low end of property. I will be placing snow fences. I hope to collect water for the pond in this swamp.  

I would like to discuss the several aspects of this dream.  

Pond:30x40x10 feet deep.  6' Chainlink fence on pond placed in a manner to be moved or added onto with complete reuse of fence parts.  We are 2 blocks from an elementary school.  This is rural America.  Fence will also keep deer out.  I want the trees to grow as much as possible in the first 10 years.  

Snowfield: Plant bushes like those in swamp areas.  l am thinking about using pond liner material laid out in snow field.  Backfill 10 inces of good soil on it.  Having it leveled and shaped to drain into pond.  End of snowfield on pond has row of large rocks and grasses to "filter" snowfield drainage into pond.

We have no rain water collection rules.  

Water:  Roofs on house 1700 sqft.  Collect all water.  4" pvc downspouts plumped to water tank in ground.  5000 gallon tank.  This will overflow to pond.  Future roof of shop will be added to system.

Power:  Solar panels to run pumps in pond and yard lights.  Solar panels placed on roof of house.  Long side of house faces south. 56'.

Flora on project:  https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/Rocky_Mountain/SnowyRangeByway/index.shtm .  Spruce, Bristlecone pine, Cedar, Douglas fir, Apsen and Fir.

Trees:  I can buy living snow fence trees.  I will be checking on cost in the spring.  Concerned about survival rate on large transplanted trees.  I will plant trees that are 6' or taller.  I want a forest as quick as it will grow.

Pond dirt will be bermmed on edge and corner of property.  Berm will be 15ft wide.  3 to 4 feet tall.  Trees will be planted on this mound.  Soil is sandy loam. Large boulders will be placed on this mound.
On inner edge of dirt berm mound I may build a footing knee wall.  This knee wall footing can be used to place the large boulders on.  I do not want them ever to move and slide down inside edge of pond in a drought year.


Drawings and pictures will follow.

Lots of thought and designs to be created.  But so far this is what I've got.
While planning this I would like to do all of it once and done.  

-Z-

Dan Boone wrote:What jumps out at me is that 84" of snow.  That's the unexploited resource on your land, which (I assume) is why you're thinking snow fences to capture it.

Only... what are you using for snow fencing?  I assume it's a resource limitation that you are "only" snow-fencing a few acres (still a big job of course).  

What I'm wondering is whether this isn't a situation that cries out for bulldozer-scale swales.  I'm thinking deep swales with tall berms, basically as narrow and steep as your soils will hold.  Over as much land as you can afford to do earthworks on -- more like the bulk of your property than a corner of it.  Properly situated (I haven't the foggiest idea how to do that, but I know it's a science) the swale/berm arrangements should not only capture a lot of snow in the swales (with the berms working like snow fences) but also as windbreaks for the plants getting established in the swale bottoms.  

Just a thought.  It's a lot of bulldozer work for sure.

I figured the 4' wood slat roll stuff with t posts for this winter. As a test to see how big/long the drifts get.  100 foot roll is 100 bucks.
The wind blows the snow away. So if i can catch as much as possible......

Dozer is $3100 for the week rental.  D6M
Plus fuel delivery service......

I will have lots of dirt from pond.  So, I like the idea.  Swales can draw the water to the pond.  But being silt/sand.  Like really, I dug a hole 6", 12", 24"   Same soil through that hole.  I packed it in my fist.  Stays loose. Then added water, still loose.  So, not much if no clay at all.  I don't want the water in the swales to soak in the ground.  I guess I could line them?

This month I will be placing a snow fence for the winter to see how it survives/performs.

41.846414 -107.856243

-Z-

Zone 5b.
41st parallel.
40 acres square
6750-6730 elevation across land

Sand and silt soil.  No clay.  Sagebrush
Rainfall 11"
Snowfall 84"
60 MPH gusts.
-30 to 90 degress
Full sun


Dream:
Set snow fence to collect drifts of snow on 2-4 acres of land.
Bill board used vinyl to lay on ground for drift to melt on. This will run down hill to pond or water tanks buried in ground to collect water.
Plant blue spruce windbreak to start.  Then once big enough. Plant nut trees, walnut, pecan, etc.

Solar to run timer and pump from tanks or pond.
Estimate 1 spruce tree takes 1 gallon of water per day.  Inserted into rootball of tree, not surface watered.

Barbwire fence around windbreak at 8 foot high to keep deer and tree nibblers out.

Did i miss anything?

This pipe dream will come true.

Thanks

-Z-