In order to increase the water self-sufficiency of the property, it’s important to work with surface water, capturing and storing it for later use, while also creating wetland areas, hydrating the landscape and creating habitats.
The proposed paths were designed to be traversed smoothly, whenever possible, taking into account the natural slope of the terrain and avoiding sensitive areas such as watercourses. Although the paths inside the property are not expected to have heavy vehicle traffic, they were all designed to be used by light vehicles and agricultural machinery.
Regarding the drainage of the paths, it should always be done with the intention of directing the water to areas within the property where it can be slowly infiltrated or accumulated in retention ponds or dams. This water can then be used for watering orchards or hedges or simply as a way to hydrate the landscape and recharge aquifers.
After 5 months of planning, we are now taking action on the ground, with the implementation of part of the permanent structure of the property, such as the retention ponds and access paths. As usual, we worked with an excellent professional who has extensive experience in surface water capture.
Part of the general map, where we highlight the first retention pond to be implemented. The roads that culminate in this pond bring rainwater, slowly conducted thanks to the constructive details, such as the inclinations of the road throughout its course. In the following images, we can see some of the moments from the first morning of work:
- Scraping of the entire area of the future retention pond;
- Accumulation of surface soil for future terraces where planting is intended;
- Accumulation of suitable clays for the construction of the wedge and wall (of earth) of the retention pond;
- Beginning of the excavation of the wedge;
We hope that it rains well in April and May to fill the new retention pond! Soon we will have more photos of the next steps and the implementation of the access paths, which will help fill this retention pond, which will be the heart of part of this property!
