Keyline Design

Subsurface Infiltration

Created at: 30 Aug 2022

Description

Keyline Flood-flow Irrigation system implemented to distribute water across drier parts of the landscape while simultaneously improving soil quality, and water retention, mitigating carbon sequestration in soil, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.

Keyline Design is a sustainable water management system developed by farmer and engineer, P.A Yeomans in the late 1940’s. Yeomans developed Keyline as a response to the increasing weather issues (primarily floods and droughts) on his property. Keyline is used in permaculture to maximise the amount of water being distributed amongst a landscape and effectively prevent flooding and droughts. It is commonly implemented in high-elevation landscapes, where water fails to distribute itself from the valleys into the ridges of the landscape, and as a result, these areas tend to dry out. Keyline is also implemented on flatter land through ‘Keyline pattern cultivation’ - this is the loosening of soil (without disturbing soil structure) to maximise root depth and water retention. On flat land, Keyline Flood-flow Irrigation (as seen in New Caledonia) is used to control the amount of water through dams and channels – which are controlled usually by farmers when needed.

Help us provide more detailed information about this project by contributing!

Images

About the author

Amra Arshad

• Submitted 1 projects
• Expert at Water
• New Zealand

View all 1 projects by this author →


Related projects

Below you will find the latest related projects in this category.

Show more related projects →

View all Water projects →