| name | s4ag-earthworks |
| description | Design and build earthworks — swales, berms, ponds, and contour-based water infrastructure. Use when the user mentions swales, berms, ponds, keyline, contours, runoff, water harvesting, access tracks, erosion, or says things like 'water running off', 'how do I build a swale', 'where should I put a pond', or 'keyline design'. |
| allowed-tools | ["Read"] |
Earthworks
Water that runs off your land takes soil, fertility, and resilience with it. Earthworks capture that water and put it to work — moving it laterally through the soil rather than down the slope and off the farm. Swales, berms, ponds, and keyline ripping are the physical infrastructure that transforms a runoff-and-erosion farm into a water-harvesting farm. Get this right once and the land pays you back for decades.
How this skill works: Each sub-tool pauses at a Checkpoint to confirm the assumptions it is about to build on before producing output. A recommendation built on a wrong assumption wastes time and money — confirm the checkpoint before acting. Each sub-tool ends with Next steps — the skills worth running once you have acted on this one.
Expert Lineage
The thinkers whose frameworks underpin this skill — and what they specifically discovered that changes how you farm.
P.A. Yeomans — Keyline Design
Yeomans spent decades designing and building water systems across Australian farms and documented the methodology in The Keyline Plan (1954) and Water for Every Farm (1965). His specific discovery: the keyline — the inflection point on a valley slope where the land transitions from concave to convex — is the natural contour along which water will spread most efficiently across a hillside. Ripping along or slightly off-keyline moves water from valleys (where it concentrates and erodes) to ridges (where it is deficient). The practical implication: a single keyline ripping operation, properly located, can distribute rainfall across an entire paddock without a drop of concrete or pipe.
Bill Mollison — Swale Design in Permaculture
Mollison formalised the on-contour swale — a level, non-draining ditch with a berm on the downslope side — as the primary earthworks tool in permaculture design. His key contribution: swales do not transport water, they hold it in place until it infiltrates. The difference between a contour drain (which carries water to a discharge point) and a swale (which retains it for infiltration) is the difference between managing a problem and solving it. Swales on contour turn every rainfall event into an irrigation and infiltration event.
Darren Doherty — Regrarians Platform
Doherty refined Yeomans' keyline methodology into the Regrarians Platform, a practical design sequence that positions earthworks within a whole-farm context. His specific finding: earthworks sequenced without considering access, topography, and enterprise layout often create as many problems as they solve. The Regrarians Platform sequences keyline layout, access tracks, irrigation, and enterprise placement in a logical order so each layer is informed by the one before. The implication: design earthworks in context, never in isolation.
Mark Shepard — Farm-Scale Earthworks Integration
Shepard documented large-scale earthworks integrated with enterprise design at New Forest Farm in Wisconsin in Restoration Agriculture. His specific contribution: on-contour earthworks sized and spaced for machinery access — swales wide enough to drive a tractor along, berms planted to productive species — deliver both water management and enterprise function. Earthworks are not an infrastructure cost; they are productive land if designed correctly.
Brad Lancaster — Rainwater Harvesting Principles
Lancaster's Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond established the decision hierarchy for water harvesting: slow the water, spread it, sink it, store it, use it. His most actionable finding: small, distributed earthworks on-contour outperform large storage tanks in drought resilience because they recharge the soil moisture profile across the whole farm rather than concentrating stored water in one place. Capture where it falls before you pump it anywhere.
Judith Schwartz — Water Cycle Restoration
Schwartz's research (Water in Plain Sight) documented how land management changes infiltration rates and groundwater recharge at landscape scale. Her key finding: bare, compacted, and heavily grazed soils have infiltration rates 10–50x lower than biologically active, vegetated soils — meaning earthworks alone cannot solve a water problem caused by degraded soil biology. Earthworks and soil biology restoration work together; neither is sufficient alone.
Which tool fits
| You need to... | Tool |
|---|
| Find the contour lines and keyline before building anything | contour-reading |
| Design a swale and berm system for your slope | swale-design |
| Site and size a farm pond | pond-siting |
| Apply Yeomans' keyline pattern across the farm | keyline-design |
| Route tracks and roads so they manage water, not damage it | access-design |
Routing Decision
- Never built earthworks before, don't know where to start → contour-reading first; you cannot design anything without knowing where the contours are
- Have contours, want to build swales to catch runoff → swale-design
- Need water storage for stock, irrigation, or fire management → pond-siting
- Want to apply keyline ripping across a whole farm → keyline-design
- Planning new tracks, or existing tracks causing erosion → access-design
- Unsure if earthworks or soil improvement is the right answer → run contour-reading; it will reveal whether the problem is landscape water pattern or soil biology
Contour Reading
Locates the true contour and keyline on any slope before any design work begins.
Every earthworks error starts here — a swale built slightly off-contour drains rather than holds, undermines its berm, and eventually fails. Finding the true contour before any design work is the single most important earthworks skill. You cannot shortcut this.
Tools for finding contour:
| Tool | Cost | Accuracy | Best for |
|---|
| A-frame level | Under $20 in materials, self-built | ±2cm over 3m | Small-scale farms, no budget |
| Bunyip level (water level) | Under $30 | ±1cm over long runs | Level transfer across obstacles |
| Surveyor's level | Hire or buy ($200–2000) | ±5mm | Larger scale, consistent results |
| Laser level | Hire $50–150/day | ±3mm | Fast over large areas |
| GPS/RTK survey | Hire $300–500/day | ±2cm | Large farms, complex topography |
| Contour map (1:5000 or better) | Free–$50 from survey authority | ±1m | Preliminary planning only |
A-frame method — step by step:
- Build an A-frame from three lengths of timber or pipe: two legs of equal length (1.5–2m works well), one crossbar connecting them a third of the way down from the apex. Hang a plumb line from the apex.
- Mark the centre of the crossbar when the frame stands on level ground — this is your level indicator.
- Walk the slope. Place one leg on a known point. Move the other leg uphill or downhill until the plumb line hangs on the centre mark. Mark that point.
- Continue across the slope, leapfrogging the legs and marking each new point. The line of marked points is a contour.
Understanding the keyline:
The keyline is not simply a contour line — it is a specific landform feature. On a valley slope, the land is concave (the valley) then transitions to convex (the ridge spur). The keyline is the inflection point between these two curvatures — the highest point where the valley floor meets the rising slope.
To identify it:
- Walk the valley from the lowest point upward. Notice where the slope begins to steepen and spread rather than narrow and concentrate. That transition zone is the keyline area.
- The keyline is typically where water would naturally start to diverge rather than converge.
- In low-rainfall environments, place earthworks slightly above keyline; in high-rainfall, slightly below.
Reading the slope for earthworks potential:
- 0–3% slope: water harvesting is easiest; pond sites viable with minimal earthmoving; swales can be large-spaced
- 3–8% slope: typical swale and keyline country; most earthworks tools apply here
- 8–15%: swales need more careful overflow design; berms must be well-compacted; access becomes a constraint
- Above 15%: earthworks risk failure if not expertly designed; biological solutions (deep-rooted perennials, mulch) often more appropriate; consult an engineer
Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:
- What is the approximate slope gradient across the proposed earthworks area?
- Do you have access to any existing contour maps (even topographic maps at 1:25000)?
- Is this preliminary design (maps are adequate) or are you about to dig (need ground-truthing with an A-frame or level)?
Designing from map contours without ground-truthing is common and often adequate for preliminary planning — but before earthmoving begins, every contour line must be verified on the ground. A map error costs nothing; an earthmoving error costs days of machine time.
Output:
CONTOUR READING ASSESSMENT
Site: [name or description]
Slope gradient (estimated): [%] across [distance]m
Keyline location: [description — distance from valley bottom, feature it relates to]
RECOMMENDED SURVEY METHOD
Method: [A-frame / bunyip / laser / GPS]
Reason: [why this suits the budget and scale]
Estimated time to survey: [hours]
CONTOUR LINES IDENTIFIED
[Contour 1]: [elevation or relative position] — [suitability for earthworks]
[Contour 2]: [elevation or relative position] — [suitability for earthworks]
[Contour 3 if applicable]
LANDFORM NOTES
Valley floor: [description]
Keyline zone: [approximate location]
Ridge/spur: [description]
Drainage patterns observed: [description]
EARTHWORKS POTENTIAL
[High / Moderate / Limited] — [reason]
Constraints: [any slope, access, or soil constraints noted]
RECOMMENDED NEXT STEP
[swale-design / pond-siting / keyline-design / access-design]
Next steps:
- Run swale-design (within this skill) — once you have the contours, design the swale and berm system.
- Run keyline-design (within this skill) — if multiple valleys are present, apply Yeomans' pattern across the farm.
/s4ag-land-reading — combine contour reading with full landform and vegetation assessment before committing to design.
Swale Design
Sizes, spaces, and designs on-contour swales and berms for water harvesting and infiltration.
A swale is a level trench dug on contour. It does not drain — it fills and holds water until the soil absorbs it. The berm is the soil excavated from the trench, placed on the downslope side and compacted, then planted with trees, shrubs, or groundcover. Together, the swale and berm function as a water-harvesting and tree-planting system.
Design sequence:
1. Confirm the contour line is true level.
Any gradient causes water to flow along the swale and concentrate at the low end — undermining the berm and eventually causing failure. Use an A-frame or laser level to walk the line before marking for excavation. A 20m swale needs to be level to within 2cm end-to-end.
2. Size the swale cross-section.
| Scale / Slope | Swale width (m) | Swale depth (m) | Berm height (m) | Notes |
|---|
| Hand-dug, garden | 0.3–0.6 | 0.2–0.3 | 0.2–0.3 | Use mattock or spade |
| Small tractor, 3–8% slope | 0.8–1.2 | 0.4–0.6 | 0.5–0.6 | Backhoe bucket or grader blade |
| Large tractor/excavator, 3–8% slope | 1.5–3.0 | 0.6–1.0 | 0.8–1.0 | Full earthmoving equipment |
| High rainfall / flashy catchment | Add 30% volume | Add 30% volume | Increase berm compaction | Engineer check recommended |
3. Calculate catchment area and swale capacity.
The swale must hold all the water that falls on the slope above it, plus roof runoff if roadshed or building runoff is directed to it.
Approximate calculation:
- Catchment area (m²) × design rainfall event (m) × runoff coefficient = swale volume required
- Runoff coefficient: bare soil 0.6; grass 0.3; forest 0.1; sealed surface 0.9
- Add 20% safety margin to the calculated volume
Example: 500m² catchment, 50mm design storm, pasture (0.3 coefficient)
500 × 0.05 × 0.3 = 7.5m³ swale volume needed → design for 9m³
4. Design the overflow.
Every swale must have an overflow — a point where excess water exits safely rather than overtopping the berm unpredictably. Options:
- Armoured overflow (rock-lined low point at one end of the swale): simplest, most reliable
- Piped overflow to the next swale downslope: more controlled, more complex
- Natural overflow into established vegetation: suitable for gentle slopes and established berm
Never allow an unarmoured overflow. An overtopped berm erodes rapidly.
5. Space swales on the slope.
Swale spacing depends on slope, soil infiltration rate, and rainfall intensity:
| Slope | Suggested swale spacing (measured vertically) |
|---|
| 1–3% | 5–15m vertical interval |
| 3–8% | 3–8m vertical interval |
| 8–15% | 2–4m vertical interval — wider swales, steeper compacted berms |
Lower infiltration rate = closer spacing. Higher rainfall = closer spacing.
6. Berm planting.
An unplanted berm is a temporary berm. Plant it immediately after construction:
- Pioneer species first (fast-establishing groundcovers, grasses, legumes) to bind the surface within weeks
- Productive perennials (fruit trees, nitrogen-fixers, timber species) into the berm face
- Space productive trees at 3–6m intervals depending on species
- Berm top can support a walking path, fence line, or market garden bed if access is needed
Soil biology note: Swales dramatically increase soil infiltration and moisture over time — which feeds the soil food web. Dry soils have slow, bacteria-dominated biology; moist, aerated soils develop the fungal networks Ingham describes as the hallmark of healthy soil. Berm trees, with their mycorrhizal networks extending into the swale's moist zone, accelerate this transformation.
Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:
- Has the contour been verified as true level on the ground (not just from a map)?
- What is the estimated catchment area above the first swale, and has the swale volume been calculated against a design storm event?
- What machinery is available for construction, and will it fit the designed swale dimensions?
An undersized swale or an off-contour swale are the two most common earthworks failures. Confirm both before any ground is broken.
Output:
SWALE DESIGN
Site: [name]
Number of swales: [n]
Slope gradient: [%]
SWALE DIMENSIONS
Width: [m]
Depth: [m]
Berm height: [m]
Berm width at base: [m]
Cross-sectional area: [m²]
Volume per 10m length: [m³]
CATCHMENT AND SIZING
Catchment area per swale: [m²]
Design storm event: [mm]
Runoff coefficient: [value] ([surface type])
Required swale volume: [m³]
Designed swale volume (at proposed length): [m³] — [adequate / increase length]
SPACING
Vertical interval between swales: [m]
Number of swale lines required: [n]
OVERFLOW
Type: [armoured / piped / natural]
Location: [description]
BERM PLANTING
Pioneer groundcover: [species]
Productive trees: [species] at [spacing]m
CONSTRUCTION NOTES
Equipment required: [hand tools / tractor with blade / excavator]
Estimated construction time: [days]
Level verification: [tool and method]
Next steps:
- Run pond-siting (within this skill) — if a swale system will generate overflow, consider whether a pond can capture it.
/s4ag-water — pair swale installation with irrigation scheduling to use the captured water productively./s4ag-agroforestry — berm tree planting is agroforestry; design the species selection for enterprise value.
Pond Siting
Selects, sizes, and designs farm ponds for stock water, irrigation, fire management, or aquaculture.
A pond placed in the wrong location will either never fill, constantly leak, or fail catastrophically. Pond siting is the most consequential earthworks decision — get it wrong and you have a large expensive hole; get it right and you have a water asset that pays for itself every dry summer.
Pond types and primary uses:
| Type | Primary use | Siting principle |
|---|
| Gully dam | Continuous supply from permanent watercourse | Dam a natural drainage line; requires spillway design |
| Hillside pond | Gravity-fed irrigation, stock water | Keyed into slope above the usage area; fills from catchment runoff |
| Keyline pond | Keyline water distribution; gravity irrigation | Placed at or above keyline elevation for gravity-fed reticulation |
| In-field pond | Biodiversity, microclimate, wildlife water | Level ground; fed by overland flow or swale overflow |
| Aquaculture pond | Fish and crustacean production | Level ground; clay seal or liner; access to water source |
The five siting questions:
1. What will fill it?
- Watercourse (seasonal or permanent creek/stream): gully dam — most reliable supply
- Catchment runoff: hillside pond — calculate catchment area against pond volume and average annual rainfall
- Swale overflow: in-field pond — simpler, smaller; sized against swale overflow volumes
- Pumped: any location, but operating cost must be justified
Minimum catchment rule of thumb: the catchment area feeding the pond should be at least 10–30 times the pond surface area in moderate rainfall (500–800mm). In low rainfall (below 400mm), 50–100x or more.
2. What will hold the water?
Ponds built without a clay seal are expensive to fill and impossible to keep full. Test before designing:
- Soil smear test: take a ball of wet subsoil and smear it between your hands. If it smears smooth and sticks to your palm, clay content is adequate. If it crumbles or feels gritty, it will leak.
- Jar test: fill a jar with subsoil and water, shake vigorously, and leave for 24 hours. A heavy sediment layer with cloudy water above it indicates adequate clay. Clear water indicates insufficient clay.
- If clay is insufficient: compact a clay core into the dam wall; install a bentonite liner; or use a synthetic liner (in order of preference from most to least durable).
3. Where will the spillway discharge?
Every pond must have a spillway — a defined overflow point sized for a design flood. A failed dam spillway can cause catastrophic downstream damage. Spillway design for large ponds (>500m³) should involve an engineer. For small ponds, a rock-armoured broad-crested spillway is the minimum safe standard.
4. What topography is available?
- A natural saddle between two spurs is ideal — two sides of the dam are already built by nature, reducing earthmoving
- A narrow valley with a wide upstream catchment is the classic gully dam site
- Avoid: active erosion gullies (unstable foundation); areas with tree roots in the dam wall zone; areas of fractured rock (seepage); areas subject to high-velocity flows in flood
5. Who regulates it?
Dam construction is regulated in most jurisdictions. In Australia, New Zealand, UK, and most US states, ponds above a threshold volume (typically 1ML / 1 acre-foot or similar) require permits. Consult your local water authority before any design work proceeds beyond preliminary.
Sizing a hillside or keyline pond:
Target volume = daily water demand × number of drought days + safety factor
| Use case | Daily demand (approximate) |
|---|
| 100 beef cattle (maintenance) | 5,000–6,000L/day |
| 50 dairy cows (milking) | 10,000–12,000L/day |
| 1 hectare irrigation (summer, moderate evapotranspiration) | 3,000–8,000L/day |
| Fire suppression reserve (small rural property) | 50,000–100,000L minimum |
Example: 80 beef cattle through a 90-day drought
80 × 60L × 90 days × 1.5 safety = 648,000L = 648m³ = 0.65ML
Soil biology note: Farm ponds create a permanently moist zone radiating outward through the surrounding soil — a biological hotspot. The moist margin, the pond floor biology, and the aerobic zone around the pond all support populations of organisms that Ingham identifies as critical for nutrient cycling. Ponds also support insect diversity that feeds birds and beneficials. A farm with a well-managed pond has measurably higher biodiversity within 50m of the water.
Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:
- Has the clay content of the dam wall and floor material been tested by a smear or jar test?
- What is the catchment area feeding the pond, and is it adequate for the proposed pond volume in the lowest-rainfall years?
- Are there any regulatory requirements for dam construction in this jurisdiction that must be addressed before proceeding?
A pond built without checking clay content or regulatory requirements is the most expensive earthworks mistake possible — costs mount before a drop of water is retained.
Output:
POND DESIGN BRIEF
Site: [name/location]
Pond type: [gully dam / hillside / keyline / in-field / aquaponics]
Primary use: [stock water / irrigation / fire reserve / aquaculture / biodiversity]
WATER SUPPLY
Source: [watercourse / catchment runoff / swale overflow / pumped]
Catchment area (if runoff-fed): [ha]
Average annual rainfall at site: [mm]
Estimated annual runoff to pond: [m³]
VOLUME REQUIREMENT
Daily demand: [L/day]
Drought days to carry: [days]
Required volume: [m³ / ML]
Designed volume: [m³ / ML]
CLAY TEST RESULT
Smear test: [adequate / marginal / inadequate]
Seal required: [none / compacted clay core / bentonite / liner]
TOPOGRAPHY
Dam wall length: [m]
Dam wall height (maximum): [m]
Cut:fill ratio (estimated): [ratio]
Estimated earthmoving volume: [m³]
SPILLWAY
Type: [rock-armoured broad-crested / piped / drop inlet]
Spillway capacity (design event): [mm/hr over catchment]
Discharge to: [location]
REGULATORY
Permit required: [yes / no / unknown — check with [authority]]
Estimated construction cost: [$]
NOTES
[Clay conditions, access, special considerations]
Next steps:
- Run keyline-design (within this skill) — place the pond at keyline elevation so gravity-fed irrigation becomes possible.
/s4ag-water — once the pond is built, design irrigation reticulation and scheduling./s4ag-aquaculture — if the pond is large enough, explore aquaculture integration.
Keyline Design
Applies Yeomans' keyline pattern to distribute water from valley to ridge across a farm.
Keyline design is the systematic application of a single counterintuitive principle: water concentrates in valleys; the rest of the slope is deficient. Keyline ripping and swale placement moves water laterally from where it accumulates (valley floors) toward where it is needed (ridge slopes). Properly applied, a keyline pattern can turn a farm from a system that sheds water into one that retains and distributes it.
The core principle:
On any hillside, water flows toward the valley. Left unmanaged, rainfall runs down the slope, concentrates in drainage lines, and leaves the ridge slopes dry. The keyline correction: after identifying the keyline, rip the soil along a line that is true contour at the keyline elevation, then grade slightly off-contour on successive lines — tilting the rip lines from valley toward ridge as you move upslope. Water moving along these rip lines diverges from the valley rather than converging toward it.
The four components of a keyline system:
1. Keyline pond (where resources allow)
Sited at keyline elevation in each valley, the keyline pond captures runoff from above and sits at the ideal elevation for gravity-fed irrigation below. Multiple keyline ponds connected by a contour channel give the farm a water distribution spine.
2. Keyline contour channel
A shallow channel on keyline contour connects ponds and distributes overflow. Not a drainage channel — it carries water for distribution to swales and rip lines below.
3. Keyline ripping
Ripping (subsoiling) along and slightly off keyline breaks compaction, aerates the subsoil, and creates pathways for lateral water movement. The classic Yeomans approach:
- First rip on true keyline contour
- Subsequent rip lines run parallel to the first, but tilted very slightly (1–2%) toward the ridge at the valley end
- Over several seasons, water moving along these lines gradually moves from valley to ridge
- Ripping is repeated annually or bi-annually; the effect accumulates over years
4. Keyline swales
Swales on or above keyline harvest additional rainfall and direct overflow into the distribution system. These sit above the keyline ponds and channel and feed them.
Design process:
Step 1 — Map the valleys. On a contour map or through field observation, identify all significant drainage valleys on the property.
Step 2 — Find the keyline in each valley. Walk each valley from its lowest point upward and identify the inflection point where the valley transitions from concave to convex — this is the keyline.
Step 3 — Draw the keyline contour. Using survey tools, establish the true contour at keyline elevation and mark it across the property.
Step 4 — Site ponds. Identify the lowest saddle point on each keyline contour — this is where a dam wall requires minimum earthmoving to create maximum storage.
Step 5 — Design the rip lines. Starting from the keyline contour, plan rip lines running parallel but tilted 1–2% toward the ridge at their valley end. Mark these on a farm map for the tractor operator.
Step 6 — Sequence the work. In the first year: establish keyline ponds. Second year: begin ripping. Third year and beyond: expand the rip pattern upslope and introduce swales.
Realistic timelines and expectations:
Keyline design is a multi-year transformation. First-year effects (improved infiltration after ripping, reduced runoff) are visible within one season. Measurable soil moisture changes across the slope take 2–5 years. The full redistribution of water from valley to ridge takes 5–10 years of consistent management. Plan accordingly.
Reading results:
- Improved spring pasture on ridge slopes while valley remains wet: keyline water movement is working
- Earthworm populations increasing across the slope: soil biology responding to improved moisture
- Less erosion in drainage lines after heavy rain: runoff volume reduction is occurring
- Vegetation greening upslope in dry periods: soil moisture storage in ridge zone increasing
Soil biology note: Keyline ripping does more than move water — it aerates the subsoil. Anaerobic subsoil is biologically dead or dominated by fermentative bacteria. Introducing oxygen through ripping activates aerobic decomposition, feeds fungal hyphae into deeper soil horizons, and allows plant roots to follow the rip channels into subsoil previously inaccessible to them. Over time, keyline-ripped soil develops biological activity at depths that tillage-based farming never reaches.
Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:
- Have the keyline locations been identified on the ground, not just from a map?
- Is there adequate machinery available for ripping — a tractor with sufficient drawbar pull to run a subsoiler at 30–45cm depth?
- Is the user's goal water distribution (keyline ripping focus) or water storage (keyline pond focus) — or both?
Keyline ripping without first locating the true keyline will either have no effect or actively worsen drainage patterns. Ground-truth the keyline before committing to rip lines.
Output:
KEYLINE DESIGN PLAN
Farm name: [name]
Area covered: [ha]
Number of valleys: [n]
KEYLINE LOCATIONS
Valley 1: [description] — keyline at [approximate elevation or feature]
Valley 2: [description] — keyline at [approximate elevation or feature]
[Additional valleys]
POND SITES
Pond 1 (Valley 1): [location description] — estimated volume [m³] — estimated wall height [m]
Pond 2 (Valley 2): [location description] — estimated volume [m³] — estimated wall height [m]
CONTOUR CHANNEL
Length: [m]
Links: [Pond 1 to Pond 2 / from Pond to swale system]
RIPPING PROGRAMME
Year 1 priority area: [description]
Rip line orientation: [true keyline / tilted [%] toward ridge at valley end]
Rip depth target: [cm]
Equipment required: [tractor hp / subsoiler type]
Annual ripping area: [ha]
3-YEAR PROGRAMME
Year 1: [ponds / first ripping zone]
Year 2: [expand ripping / swale installation]
Year 3: [full system / monitoring]
SUCCESS INDICATORS TO MONITOR
- [indicator 1]
- [indicator 2]
- [indicator 3]
Next steps:
- Run pond-siting (within this skill) — keyline design depends on properly sited and sized ponds.
/s4ag-water — once the keyline system is in place, design the gravity-fed irrigation reticulation./s4ag-regenerative — keyline design is one of the fastest routes to whole-farm regeneration; connect it to the broader transition plan.
Access Design
Routes roads and tracks to manage water rather than channel it toward erosion.
Every track on a farm is a water management intervention — it either manages water safely or it concentrates runoff and carves gullies. Poorly designed tracks are one of the most common causes of farm erosion. Well-designed access routes shed water gradually to vegetated margins, eliminate concentration points, and become part of the farm's water management infrastructure.
The core principle:
Sealed and compacted surfaces shed water rather than absorbing it. Runoff velocity increases with the length of the slope. Erosion damage is proportional to velocity squared — doubling the velocity quadruples the erosion force. The design response: interrupt the runoff distance before velocity builds, and direct the water to vegetated land where it can infiltrate.
Water on tracks — the three failure modes:
1. Track running down the slope (not on contour)
Water follows the track, accelerates, and erodes the track surface and any drainage line it reaches. Fix: avoid tracks that run straight down slopes. Where unavoidable, install frequent cross-drains (every 30–50m on slopes above 5%) to break the flow path.
2. Track forming a berm along the contour
A poorly shaped contour track acts as a dam, concentrating water until it overflows at the lowest point — usually concentrating the entire track's catchment into one erosive surge. Fix: design the track cross-section to shed water off the uphill edge before it concentrates. A slight outward camber (2–4%) plus regular turnout drains prevents ponding.
3. Track entering a drainage line without a crossing
Water sheet-flowing across the track hits the drainage line and cuts headward erosion upslope. Fix: formal watercourse crossings with culverts, rock armour, or concrete — not bare ground.
Design principles for on-contour tracks:
- Align tracks as close to contour as possible while allowing drainage off the uphill edge
- Build with an outward camber (2–4% toward the lower edge) — water sheds off rather than ponding
- Install turnout drains every 30–50m on slopes above 3% — a simple diversion cut angled off the track onto vegetated land
- Rock-armour all outlets — water exiting a turnout drain at velocity will erode unprotected soil
- Avoid running tracks within 10m of permanent watercourses without culverted crossings
- Where tracks must cross drainage lines: install correctly sized culverts (oversized is cheaper than replacing after a flood event)
Turnout drain design:
A turnout drain is a simple diversion cut across the track, angled at 30–45° to the track line, directing water off the downhill edge onto vegetated land. Key requirements:
- Depth: 15–25cm — deep enough to intercept all track runoff, shallow enough not to trap vehicles
- Angle: 30–45° to track — angled enough to drain efficiently, shallow enough not to be a traction obstacle for heavy vehicles
- Outlet: must discharge onto vegetated ground, not bare soil or another track
- Frequency: closer on steeper slopes; wider on gentler ones
Spacing guide for turnout drains:
| Track slope | Maximum spacing between turnouts |
|---|
| 1–2% | 80–100m |
| 2–4% | 50–60m |
| 4–8% | 30–40m |
| Above 8% | 20–25m; consider rerouting the track |
Integrating tracks with earthworks:
Where possible, design track layout alongside swale and keyline design:
- Tracks on berm tops serve double duty: vehicle access and productive berm surface
- Tracks slightly above contour can double as catchment drains feeding swales below
- Access lanes between paddocks can be designed as water-spreading channels when not in use
Existing tracks — assessment and repair:
Before designing new tracks, assess existing ones:
- Walk the farm in heavy rain or immediately after — where is water concentrating? Where are gullies forming?
- Mark every active erosion point originating from a track
- Prioritise fixes by volume: the track segments generating the most runoff damage first
- Install turnout drains first (cheapest, fastest, highest impact) before considering rerouting
Soil biology note: Track placement and surface management determines how much of the farm's water reaches the soil biology. Every litre that sheets off a track and exits the farm is a litre that does not infiltrate to feed the food web. Compacted track surfaces — like compacted field soils — are biologically inert. Where tracks must cross productive ground, minimise their width, maximise vegetated margins, and consider periodic biological decompaction (subsoiling) of the track surface after wet-season damage.
Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:
- Are there existing tracks on the farm that are currently causing erosion problems — and should those be addressed before new tracks are designed?
- What is the heaviest vehicle that will regularly use these tracks? The design standard must match the load.
- Is the access design being integrated with swale and keyline work, or is it standalone?
Designing a new track without assessing existing track drainage problems first often means the new track inherits or amplifies the existing failures.
Output:
ACCESS DESIGN PLAN
Property: [name]
Existing tracks assessed: [yes / no / partially]
EXISTING TRACK ISSUES IDENTIFIED
[Track segment 1]: [issue — down-slope run / berm effect / inadequate crossing]
Fix: [turnout drains at [spacing]m / regrade for outward camber / install culvert]
[Track segment 2]: [issue]
Fix: [fix]
NEW TRACK DESIGN
Route: [description — from / to, via which landform features]
Alignment to contour: [on-contour / slight off-contour for drainage / unavoidable downslope section at [location]]
Cross-section camber: [%] outward
Surface: [gravel / compacted native / rock base]
TURNOUT DRAIN SCHEDULE
[Location 1 — distance from start]: [depth] [angle] [outlet to]
[Location 2]: [depth] [angle] [outlet to]
[Continue as needed]
WATERCOURSE CROSSINGS
[Crossing 1 — location]: [culvert diameter] [material] [sizing notes]
INTEGRATION WITH EARTHWORKS
[How this track relates to swale/keyline system]
MAINTENANCE
Inspect after: [major rain events]
Priority repairs: [list]
Next steps:
- Run swale-design (within this skill) — tracks designed alongside swales create an integrated water management system.
/s4ag-land-reading — walk the whole farm for water patterns before finalising access routes./s4ag-water — once access infrastructure is managed for water, design the positive-use irrigation system.
