We’ve started round three of partnering with Wake County Soil and Water to fix things on our farm that have been wrong for many years. As we’ve documented here before, we’ve already fixed a big erosion area in our main pasture and we’ve also drilled a new well to better water our cows using a solar-powered pump.
This time we are working on a much larger erosion area in our wooded paddock near the road. This is the paddock we are working to thin to begin a silvopasture test project. As part of the overall project, we need to fix the major erosion areas that traverse about 3-4 acres of land.
All the folks from Soil and Water and from NRCS worked all day and till after 5 surveying our paddock. They have to have detailed plans on what the before looks like so they can do the engineering to determine what is the best fix.
So far it looks like we’ll be hauling in a bunch of fill again. This is vs. piping some or all of the water drainage or adding rip rap for the main erosion areas, or even building some small dams to slow the water. Since I’m better running a dozer than laying pipe, I hope they say fill dirt is the solution but we can install whatever the engineers deem best. I’m just looking forward to getting the plan in hand and getting started. I do have to finish the well project but that relies on outside contractors for what is left so my main limitation, time, isn’t a factor on that project.