So How Do Swales Work and Should You Use Them – Miyagi Mornings Epi-155

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So some of my old swale videos are getting the usual question about mosquitos, being stagnate, etc. I thought today we would look at swales. Many of you know I am going to say swales don't breed mosquitos they don't hold water. True but I should really say, "properly designed swales don't hold water long term".

You absolutely can build a swale that turns into a stagnant nasty canal. The key here is swales are not "permaculture" as in you use swales when you do permaculture design as though one equals the other. Many people who have simply watched videos seem to think this. It is for two reasons, one is they assume. The other is worse, people are teaching design without understanding design. Acting as experts when they are not even decent amateurs.

More some are even worse! They did a great job on their property, they have never designed on another property, in another climate, with another soil type, with a high water table, etc. etc. etc.

The swale is a technique and hence you employ it as a tactic as part of a larger design based on an over all strategy. If those do not all line up, you don't use the swale to begin with. It is not that a swale is good or bad, rather that any tool has a purpose. A combination wrench is not bad or good but it is not a good hammer and it won't even work as a drill bit.

Just as I always say know why you believe what you believe, when it comes to earth works you better why you are doing what you are doing and the results it is going to produce. While you can't use a wrench as a drill press, you can pretty much dig a level ditch anywhere you want to. As always though just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.