Use of dead furrows to conserve water

I was thinking on the use of a dead furrow, where you have a low spot due to plowing.
If done intentionally you can use a plow at the narrowest width (inline with the tractor) to create a long continuous swale to capture water.
Does this sound reasonable?  My hope is to buy some land that is sloping and turn it into an orchard  and a pond at the lowest point.

Dennis Bangham wrote:I was thinking on the use of a dead furrow, where you have a low spot due to plowing.
If done intentionally you can use a plow at the narrowest width (inline with the tractor) to create a long continuous swale to capture water.
Does this sound reasonable?  My hope is to buy some land that is sloping and turn it into an orchard  and a pond at the lowest point.

Look up keyline, sounds very similar. Does depend on whats under the surface though. Water has trouble getting through clay, thus ponds, bogs, etc.

If your goal is deep infiltration, use a subsoiler or keyline plow. If your goal is pond, then see if you have clay underneath. If not, look into gleying.

i wass looking long term. Do the water control first, plant rye or alfalfa for chop and drop and at the same time gather wood chips make compost etc.

for longer term to build fencing to separate the land into quarters to protect fruit trees and veggies from grazers.  For animals/grazers I am leaning toward sheep but I know nothing on animal husbandry, so i will keep it very small.  
I am wondering why there is only a very small market for Mutton.  I know it has a bad history from WWII where the soldiers had little else to eat when it came to meat.