Water Harvesting - Pitchstone Waters

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Water Harvesting

A collection of 6 posts

Restoring Desert Watersheds with Beaver: Back to the Future

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Watersheds with Beaver: Back to the Future

Beaver reintroductions can help restore damaged watersheds across the desert Southwest. In far-West Texas, the Rio Grande and its tributaries are obvious starting places. Yet, any ranch having a spring or a creek that flows intermittently or seasonally, should consider these four-footed, furry water engineers as a cheap, quick and

gulley_restoration_desert_grasslands

Turning a Dangerous Arroyo Into a Flood Irrigation Resource in the Deserts of Far-West Texas

Here is how we harvested water out of Circle Ranch’s worst gully, and used it to re-wet 5-miles of desert meadows.

circle_ranch_keyline_plow

"Invasion Biology"

Circle Ranch Open Gate Day, August 26, 2016

On August 26, 2016, Holistic Management International (HMI) held an Open Gate educational day at Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. We demonstrated desert grassland restoration using ‘Plug and Spread’ water harvesting from eroded gullies, and Keyline contour plowing. Circle Ranch Open Gate, August 26, 2016 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Roads and Erosion: #3 of 3: Results of Treatments of Substandard Ranch Roads

Roads and Erosion: #3 of 3: Results of Treatments of Substandard Ranch Roads

Most old roadbeds are simply abandoned after they become impassible. S.O.P. is to move over a vehicle-width, and start a new path. When that wears out, do it again, and so forth. Near Santa Fe, there are places where the old Camino Real has thirty-five abandoned beds, side-by-side.

Roads and Erosion #2 of 3: Addressing The Destructive Erosion of Substandard Ranch Roads

Roads and Erosion #2 of 3: Addressing The Destructive Erosion of Substandard Ranch Roads

In the summer of 2007, Circle Ranch together with the Dixon Water Foundation, sponsored a road seminar at Circle Ranch. Attendees came from as far as the Navaho Nation in Arizona. Bill Zeedyk, noted erosion expert from Albuquerque taught our class. Above – he is showing different road-drainage profiles. Here we

Roads and Erosion: #1 of 3

Roads and Erosion: #1 of 3

Pictured here is a typical gully. It was caused by a road which triggered an upward-moving headset. How can you tell an active gully? Whenever the sides of a gully are vertical, the gully is unstable. These drain pastures and ‘bleed’ moisure out of the water table on both sides.