Neil Bertrando & Jeff Adams: Low-Tech Erosion & Water Management
By Neil Bertrando and Jeff Adams
TL;DR: Implement low-tech solutions like trenches, brush dams, and Zuni bowls to manage erosion and water on diverse landscapes, enhancing ecological function and agricultural productivity.
- Assess terrain to map water flow and soil permeability.
- Dig contour trenches to infiltrate water along slopes.
- Construct brush dams in gullies to slow water and trap silt.
- Build Zuni bowls for micro-catchment and tree planting.
- Use woven wattles in burn areas to prevent washouts.
- Integrate structures with agroforestry to boost yields.
- Regularly maintain structures for long-term effectiveness.
Why it matters: Effective water and erosion control protects land, supports biodiversity, and improves agricultural resilience, especially in dryland and post-fire environments.
Do this next: Walk your property after a rain to identify natural water flow paths and potential erosion points.
Recommended for: Homesteaders, gardeners, farmers, and land stewards seeking effective, low-cost, and ecologically sound methods for managing water and preventing erosion.
This podcast episode features regenerative specialist Neil Bertrando and Jeff Adams discussing integrated low-tech water harvesting and erosion control in agroforestry and homestead contexts. Bertrando shares field-tested techniques from years of hands-on work, starting with terrain assessment: walk sites post-rain to map flow paths, measure gradients with a bunyip level (hose-filled water gauge), and test soil permeability by digging pits. Primary solutions include one-man cross-sections: shallow trenches (30-50cm deep, 1m wide) contoured along slopes, dug with shovels and hoes, mulched with straw to infiltrate water. Brush dams use felled branches piled in key gullies, ends buried 30cm, layered with rocks for permanence, slowing velocity by 90% and trapping silt to build berms. Zuni bowl techniques create micro-catchments: 1-2m diameter depressions with lip walls from local stone, planted with trees to anchor soil. For fire-damaged areas, immediate post-burn staking of woven wattles (1m high cylinders from alder shoots) prevents washouts. Podcast details material sourcing: harvest invasives like blackberry for weaves, use gravity for placement—no machinery needed. Integration with agroforestry: place structures upslope of food forests to hydrate swales, boosting yields 2-3x in drylands. Case studies include a 10-acre homestead where 50 structures restored a creek, increasing baseflow 40%; another in wildfire zones rebuilt habitats for birds/beavers. Maintenance: inspect monthly, reinforce with manure packs for fertility. Tools: pulaski for digging, come-along winches for logs. Challenges like steep terrain solved by stair-stepping mini-dams. Listeners gain blueprints for replication, emphasizing observation (80% of success), low cost ($0.50/meter), and scalability from yards to watersheds. Ties to permaculture via stacking functions: erosion control doubles as wildlife corridors and carbon sinks, advancing regenerative self-sufficiency.