Brittany Heron

The slopes are pretty gentle.  

Oh good call out!
According to the 2017 FEMA Risk Report my property is in a "Very Low Liquefaction Risk" zone and on the Washington Geologic Information Portal it looks like no risk of landslides though the neighbors have some "Shallow Susceptibility".

More maps!

Following the rough contour lines it looks like the best spot for water retention would be right under the house haha. That also happens to be about where the east slope flattens out. Another good spot might be right next to the road and drive way and the field west of the house. The road along our property is higher than our land so any water traveling along it is traped on our side. We might need to do some water diversion if we can increase rention around the backside of the property since a paved road cuts through the front.

My husband and I moved into our new property last August. We're located in Washington state on a very sandy ridge top site. Zone 8b.

I am looking for local PNW resources and advice for designing earthwork placement and the basic framework for a ~20 acre farm/homestead. Main buildings are already in place so I'll have to work around those. I'd love consultantation but I'll start with spit balling ideas.

I am conflicted about where to place swales, ponds, terraces, etc. Or if they are even appropriate for my very sandy site. Water is my biggest concern after our current summer of nearly 50 days without rain and averaging 85 degrees for weeks. Things are looking more arid in our usually maritime PNW.

We dug a 4ft hole last fall near the house and it seemed to be mostly sand all the way down that held no water throughout our rainy winter so there probably isn't enough clay to capture water without additional inputs.

Goals:
-Terraced with swales on the east slope
-Mark Sheppard style orchard with many tree/shrub species on a North/South contour
-Pig or Cow grazing in the orchard alleys
-Family garden
-Some kind of water retention, preferably ponds