Thank you for sharing. This helped me show my husband what is on my mind. We are in our 60's and changing the way we live. We purchased 9 acres in southeast Ga. I read Holtzer's first book years ago. Now Lord willing we will apply his ideas.
I don't know what one was his first book, but if you haven't read Desert or Paradise yet, I highly recommend it. Took me about 40 pages to get into it, and after I realized it's one of the best books I've ever read. Changed my whole perception of the natural world...
Thank you so much. I'm on 11 acres. Water control and maintenance is the essential function. The fact that water retention is beneficial to the neighboring well is compelling. That alone says it. Thanks again!
So much permie information out there, but so little in one place. Thank you for the thorough explanations of key line,swales, and ponds including the overhead shots with graphics. These ideas are so hard to visualize here in Nebraska where everything is mono cropped in huge tracts of "flat" land or hillsides are grazed to nothing by the cattlemen.
Aloha, I just spent 3 months with Geoff Lawton on his farm in NSW australia, he would be very impressed with what you guys have done. Permaculture is the way , the best way for all of us, outstanding . aloha.
That's interesting. It's very dry here right now in late July, with no rain all month, and not much for sure until the jetstream moves down around October.I just returned from a trip to Arizona and got to experience true arid, and really had an experience upon my return of how much the humidity created by all the big trees here affects the microclimate, as well as the heavy clay soils that hold water.Every tree is like a giant cistern, moderating the temperature and wind throughout our summers.
Hello Andrew, thanks for sharing such a resourceful earthworks. Please kindly assist with the tactic that you used to irrigate the farm from the pond without batteries and alike. Thanks
@@migombaniorganicfarm The water from the high dam is put into an underground pipe that is tied into a sprinkler system in the fields. It works because the upper pond is so much higher than the fields in the landscape, and that "head pressure" makes it so the sprinklers or drip lines or any conventional irrigation system can work by connecting to the water line from the high pond.
@@amillison I'd probably steam-punk it with a windmill, but solar pumps are lower-profile. There's so much to know and to understand, and so many particulars that go into a given setting. I like how you kick it off with latitude, elevation and rainfall info. You're relatively blessed, compared to much of the West and inland Northwest with regard to rainfall. North side of a mountain isn't ideal for passive or active solar. Using it to move water when the sun's on it gives you all the positives and none of the negatives. Much is made of the aquifer recharge that these perched ponds provide. You're watering the roots down-slope, (re-)activating springs, etc. Something nobody talks about are settings that are BAD for these "as high as possible" ponds, because you can (re-)activate slumps and slides, and trigger catastrophic mass wasting, if you're careless. In some places, you might want to install a cistern with no leaks, and be more selective where you put down the water, down-slope and how you put down the water down-slope. Generally speaking, you want to avoid loading up the top and move material down to the toe.
Also, all of our ponds are built on ridges rather than in gullies, so the potential for being washed out in a flood is greatly diminished. We used P.A. Yeomans book, Water for Every Farm" as a critical guide to our design process
These kinds of projects most often increase biodiversity of the site, Owen, increase water retention and other ecological services. Impact in the permaculture approach is a good thing - because regeneration can actually happen. The goal here isn't "less bad," but actual health enhancement.
It is true that any action can have negative repercussions. This is an inherent consideration in Permaculture, which at the core is a design methodology that aims to use thoughtful observation to highlight areas where more care might be necessary. We have included much expertise in the design of this land, from fisheries biologist, native American ecologists, eco-foresters, ornithologists, botanists, engineers and more.
This type of setup reduces erosion and eliminates landslides. Also it is a proven principle that wild species and diversity will only increase with more water and fertility.
its crazy to imagine 40 inches not being enough haha. We get 12 inches of rain per year. Thank you for explaining to much though and so well. So often permeculture videos are conceptual or assuming preexisting knowledge. thanks! Its so great to hear how you "sequestering" water from local creeks is actually raising well productivity downstream! awesomd
@Owen As far as I know, the site was degraded farmland overgrown with blackberries, and second or third growth timberland, not considered critical habitat. Permaculture design focuses on observation, and assessing just the types of impacts you mention. Soil stability and suitability for dams is essential information for creating a functional system. As Don explained, stream flow was increased in the important riparian habitat downstream from him. Thanks for the comment.
From wikipedia: Aikido: a Japanese martial art developed as a synthesis of martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. This requires very little physical strength, as the aikido practitioner "leads" the attacker's momentum using entering and turning movements.
Wow😱I've watched twice this video and is such a joy seen how the water has is so well directed and stored and benefits the land👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏if everyone did these much, we would constructed a better environment and not destroying what GOD has given us. My hat off👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👉🇬🇧👏👏✋
This is an answer to part of the arid Southwest's water woes. Creating basins to allow rainwater to pool and percolate into the soil will help recharge the groundwater in region. Cities have immense areas that water just runs off of and holding that water in the area to help trees grow and sit in pools or basins to soak into the soil will make a huge difference. It will also negate some of the flooding around the cities and towns. It can be done on both small and large scales and will not be that expensive to do.
Yes, I put rocks and sand for fish habitat and have some areas with logs and willows and cattails too. Honestly though Osprey and Herons are our biggest fish predators
P.A.Yeoman's "Water for Every Farm" is still the definitive text on Keyline design. Watch Darren Doherty's youtube video "Keyline Design at the Beach" ;-)
great work.. thankyou for sharing.. just building up to some major earth works in Portugal.. we have a couple of acres of slopped valley with a small stream coming in at the top flowing year round.. so if i get it right should be able to passive irrigate the whole valley for planting a long term food forest .. very exciting and a littel scary.. ;9)
Wow, you guys have a beaver state, I'm on the way. On a serious note this video is very informative and I love how you have managed this land. A true credit to your symbiotic views about working with the environment. Subscribed.
We have mild summer droughts "usually" but rarely anything real arid. Heck, on most nights we get more misting precipitation than much of the western states get in a light rain.
Williams, Oregon is zone 8b, lows 15-20 fahrenheit. Although the same latitude as Vermont, Western Oregon gets marine air from the Pacific, moderating the temperature, where New England gets continental air, making the lows much colder. This video was filmed in early May, on a warm day.
Well, lately we've had some - "drought" - minor compared to out west, but say 2" of rain in two hot months and breezy, so the water tables drop 4-7' in that timeframe. Enough to make storage key. We still have enough to feed the paddies where we grow rice, from the ponds above (and rooftops).
Keyline design is a technique for maximizing beneficial use of water resources of a piece of land. Andrew Millison produced this video of Permaculture guru Don Tipping talking about how his farm captures water resources, reducing fertility runoff as well as techniques like zigzagging & lot more. Have a look and get inspired....
ONE od=f the best videos on water catchment ever seen on RUclips Thansk I am building a forst grden nd trying to figur eout how to cature the water coming down from th emountains this helps
I know Don has ducks in the swales below the ponds, and I also know he cuts the grass in the swales for hay, but I don't know if he moves his goats and sheep and brings in temporary fencing to graze animals in between the garden blocks. I'll see him this weekend and will ask.
Planting solar panels on top of pond would result in less evaporation and free electricity for pumping. Sounds very costly but very effective but this concept has been proved in Gujrat.
Beautiful farm Don...I wish I could motivate to get my like yours...I am surrounded by chemical corn ag. So sad, but I just planted swaths of perennials. Angelique
I love what you've done. Also nice video with the map explanation. I love to see you grow table grapes, cherries, almonds and walnut trees. Is there an update to this video? I hope to visit california one day.
Make like trenches pond in big size in the upper area its will help to keep underground water table stable. It's very simple when we store the water in upper area its will going down slowly and will rise the underground water table in the lower area. More ponds or trenches in upper more water in downstream area.
TeamJK, I don't really know what software was used. A "new media" student at Oregon State did the animation for me. I know he used Google Earth for the base image, but I don't know how he moved through the image and added the water flow lines. I had to show him the flow pattern and work with Don to get the watershed correctly represented, so it's not something the computer figured out. Sorry I can't answer your question! All the best - Andrew
Fantastic... this is very much like our system in vermont at the exact same latitude and almost the exact rainfall annual avg. I'd love to see this and share our site with you if you ever find yourself in the Northeast. What hardiness zone is this?
Andrew- Thanks for the awesome video! I am soon going to be homesteading. I would love to apply this method as I see the many benefits, like abundance in life. I am just worried however, I've studied geology for quite some time. I know that adding water to a slope can potentially cause mass wasting. Land slides happen because of this. Have you ever worried or observed this sort of thing on your property.
Cory, It's advisable to really understand the geology of a site or consult with a geotechnical engineer before implementing large scale earthworks. I have not personally heard of a landslide induced by a keyline pond system, but I've heard people considering that possibility in the design process. Better safe then sorry ;-)
Please learn about Permaculture. Once you study it some, you will realize it is one of the only systems of design which takes EVERYTHING into account if one is a creative and imaginative designer.
This is gorgeous. But if you have a spring that comes out above you, i dont get why you'd decide to have your collection pond 1000feet under you, and then use a powered pump to move it back up... y not place it above you from the get go?
Good stuff! We live right down in White City. I'm doing this kind of thing on our land now. Dug a pond, a swale and putting in more in the future. Solar power'd pump is a great idea! Did you guys have water rights when you bought the property?
thank you for sharing this video,Its been a yr now researching,watching different methods, to know how farming in a sloping land area, with no river or creek to water the plants beside,and it was dry in summer. and it is more interesting that gave me an idea in sloping and contour or strip lines or swales , and a they build a pond.. the only thing that i feel harder is to take action and where to start doing like this permaculture. I'am from Philippines,forgave me if i don't know how to put in proper sentence my comment, thank you for this video hope that you could gave me some help where to start..
Andrew, what software or online tool was used to generate the aerial graphic topography of the land? it's amazingly helpful as a result of its accuracy and clarity.....better than just a satellite shot with google maps or google earth. I practice permaculture and hope to incorporate these principles on a larger piece of land as well. thanks for any help. Also, amazing video! fills a real niche when it comes to water management and keyline education and implementation. Keep it Up!
The state of Oregon requires permits for water storage and irrigation from storages at this scale. The process is pretty straight forward. Don's farm has water rights to the creek flowing through the site which he uses to fill the big pond. If you are just filling reservoirs during the wet season, it is pretty easy to get a permit.
The Local Water Master for our region toured our farm and listed all the "rules" we were breaking, then she turned her back and told me that she assumed I would address them all and that we were doing the best job of water management of any farm she had ever seen.
James, I'm not sure that Don is monitoring these comments, so i'll give you an answer. You can mimic the same patterns of moving the water back and forth across the landscape and keeping the water at it's highest potential in the landscape on any sized site. Contextualizing your site within the greater watershed is a great first step. Check out Brad Lancaster's "Principles of Rainwater Harvesting" for a good start to strategize the flow and how you will integrate with the hydrological cycle.
Thank you for sharing. This helped me show my husband what is on my mind. We are in our 60's and changing the way we live. We purchased 9 acres in southeast Ga. I read Holtzer's first book years ago. Now Lord willing we will apply his ideas.
I don't know what one was his first book, but if you haven't read Desert or Paradise yet, I highly recommend it. Took me about 40 pages to get into it, and after I realized it's one of the best books I've ever read. Changed my whole perception of the natural world...
GO FOR IT well done all the best for your retirement and future.
how are you doing with your land 3 years later?
@@nothingmuch2023 curious to know how have you progressed with your land
This is incredible! So inspiring. I love how the neighbor's wells were better off because of his decisions.
InstaBlaster...
Wise stewardship literally spills over to the benefit of everyone.
Thank you so much. I'm on 11 acres. Water control and maintenance is the essential function. The fact that water retention is beneficial to the neighboring well is compelling. That alone says it. Thanks again!
So much permie information out there, but so little in one place. Thank you for the thorough explanations of key line,swales, and ponds including the overhead shots with graphics. These ideas are so hard to visualize here in Nebraska where everything is mono cropped in huge tracts of "flat" land or hillsides are grazed to nothing by the cattlemen.
This is the best water system i have seen ... thank you for posting
Aloha, I just spent 3 months with Geoff Lawton on his farm in NSW australia, he would be very impressed with what you guys have done. Permaculture is the way , the best way for all of us, outstanding . aloha.
Thanks for the helpful graphics accompanying Don's explanations. Peace and health.
That's interesting. It's very dry here right now in late July, with no rain all month, and not much for sure until the jetstream moves down around October.I just returned from a trip to Arizona and got to experience true arid, and really had an experience upon my return of how much the humidity created by all the big trees here affects the microclimate, as well as the heavy clay soils that hold water.Every tree is like a giant cistern, moderating the temperature and wind throughout our summers.
Hello Andrew, thanks for sharing such a resourceful earthworks. Please kindly assist with the tactic that you used to irrigate the farm from the pond without batteries and alike. Thanks
@@migombaniorganicfarm The water from the high dam is put into an underground pipe that is tied into a sprinkler system in the fields. It works because the upper pond is so much higher than the fields in the landscape, and that "head pressure" makes it so the sprinklers or drip lines or any conventional irrigation system can work by connecting to the water line from the high pond.
@@amillison I'd probably steam-punk it with a windmill, but solar pumps are lower-profile.
There's so much to know and to understand, and so many particulars that go into a given setting. I like how you kick it off with latitude, elevation and rainfall info. You're relatively blessed, compared to much of the West and inland Northwest with regard to rainfall. North side of a mountain isn't ideal for passive or active solar. Using it to move water when the sun's on it gives you all the positives and none of the negatives.
Much is made of the aquifer recharge that these perched ponds provide. You're watering the roots down-slope, (re-)activating springs, etc.
Something nobody talks about are settings that are BAD for these "as high as possible" ponds, because you can (re-)activate slumps and slides, and trigger catastrophic mass wasting, if you're careless. In some places, you might want to install a cistern with no leaks, and be more selective where you put down the water, down-slope and how you put down the water down-slope. Generally speaking, you want to avoid loading up the top and move material down to the toe.
If everybody spread knowledge like dr Andrew.. 😎😎
Also, all of our ponds are built on ridges rather than in gullies, so the potential for being washed out in a flood is greatly diminished. We used P.A. Yeomans book, Water for Every Farm" as a critical guide to our design process
Wow! Great explanation of a sentifically designed permaculture system..
These kinds of projects most often increase biodiversity of the site, Owen, increase water retention and other ecological services. Impact in the permaculture approach is a good thing - because regeneration can actually happen. The goal here isn't "less bad," but actual health enhancement.
Compliment, such a great watersystem and greatly documented
I like the way you have developed this property and have gained some new ideas from your hard work. Thank you
@andrew Millison, awesome work helping getting these brilliant examples out to the world :)
Beautifully presented - much appreciated !
Fantastic.
I can't wait to get started in permaculture.
It is true that any action can have negative repercussions. This is an inherent consideration in Permaculture, which at the core is a design methodology that aims to use thoughtful observation to highlight areas where more care might be necessary. We have included much expertise in the design of this land, from fisheries biologist, native American ecologists, eco-foresters, ornithologists, botanists, engineers and more.
i like the animation! good visual and very informative!
This type of setup reduces erosion and eliminates landslides. Also it is a proven principle that wild species and diversity will only increase with more water and fertility.
Yeah, no summer drought in Vermont. I'm guessing that's why you can use your ponds to grow rice in, you don't need to empty them for irrigation.
Awesome! Very Inspirational......
its crazy to imagine 40 inches not being enough haha. We get 12 inches of rain per year.
Thank you for explaining to much though and so well. So often permeculture videos are conceptual or assuming preexisting knowledge. thanks!
Its so great to hear how you "sequestering" water from local creeks is actually raising well productivity downstream! awesomd
Amazing work. Thanks for putting it online.
@Owen
As far as I know, the site was degraded farmland overgrown with blackberries, and second or third growth timberland, not considered critical habitat. Permaculture design focuses on observation, and assessing just the types of impacts you mention. Soil stability and suitability for dams is essential information for creating a functional system. As Don explained, stream flow was increased in the important riparian habitat downstream from him.
Thanks for the comment.
Simply genius!
From wikipedia: Aikido: a Japanese martial art developed as a synthesis of martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit."
Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. This requires very little physical strength, as the aikido practitioner "leads" the attacker's momentum using entering and turning movements.
This is excellent. It was plaster to see what you have achieved with capturing and redirecting your water. Absolutely fantastic ✔👍😉🍒👌
Wow😱I've watched twice this video and is such a joy seen how the water has is so well directed and stored and benefits the land👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏if everyone did these much, we would constructed a better environment and not destroying what GOD has given us. My hat off👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👉🇬🇧👏👏✋
Love your land and how you planted your gardens!
This is an answer to part of the arid Southwest's water woes. Creating basins to allow rainwater to pool and percolate into the soil will help recharge the groundwater in region. Cities have immense areas that water just runs off of and holding that water in the area to help trees grow and sit in pools or basins to soak into the soil will make a huge difference. It will also negate some of the flooding around the cities and towns. It can be done on both small and large scales and will not be that expensive to do.
Yes, I put rocks and sand for fish habitat and have some areas with logs and willows and cattails too.
Honestly though Osprey and Herons are our biggest fish predators
It's great. I feel happy for these people 🌺
Wow what a great job! Thank you for sharing!
P.A.Yeoman's "Water for Every Farm" is still the definitive text on Keyline design. Watch Darren Doherty's youtube video "Keyline Design at the Beach" ;-)
WOW! I love it!
Thanks for a great case study on an amazing system!
Awesome knowledge Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing video. Kudos to you from India👏👏
great work.. thankyou for sharing.. just building up to some major earth works in Portugal.. we have a couple of acres of slopped valley with a small stream coming in at the top flowing year round.. so if i get it right should be able to passive irrigate the whole valley for planting a long term food forest .. very exciting and a littel scary.. ;9)
I gave a thumbs up just for that theme song!😁
Excellent - Not one second too long or short.
A modern druid for sure.
Amazing video and amazing place! Wow a lot of planning and excellent execution of earthworks. A dream property! :D
Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia
Hey! I live by another Sugarloaf Mountain, but up in the north country!😁🇨🇦
Awesome job! It looks great too!
I can't wait to start implementing this. 😍
How big is your farm
Awesome bro
Wow, you guys have a beaver state, I'm on the way.
On a serious note this video is very informative and I love how you have managed this land. A true credit to your symbiotic views about working with the environment.
Subscribed.
Great illustration techniques
Yes, figured it was much warmer but not quite zone 8, wow. Our site seems so similar except for the aridity distribution, rather than overall precip.
From that upper pond you could implement a "Trombe" system to create compressed air to use for powering your farm house etc.
@4:17 Aikido with water! and @8:20 - so good.
Amazing! Brilliant!
We have mild summer droughts "usually" but rarely anything real arid. Heck, on most nights we get more misting precipitation than much of the western states get in a light rain.
Amazing....the answer to combat water wars in the US..
Williams, Oregon is zone 8b, lows 15-20 fahrenheit. Although the same latitude as Vermont, Western Oregon gets marine air from the Pacific, moderating the temperature, where New England gets continental air, making the lows much colder. This video was filmed in early May, on a warm day.
Well, lately we've had some - "drought" - minor compared to out west, but say 2" of rain in two hot months and breezy, so the water tables drop 4-7' in that timeframe. Enough to make storage key. We still have enough to feed the paddies where we grow rice, from the ponds above (and rooftops).
Keyline design is a technique for maximizing beneficial use of water resources of a piece of land.
Andrew Millison produced this video of Permaculture guru Don Tipping talking about how his farm captures water resources,
reducing fertility runoff as well as techniques like zigzagging & lot more. Have a look and get inspired....
Great Job ,I am from north east India(Manipur) .Feeling to do permaculture.
Thank you for sharing.
Very informative. Thank you!
Akido... nice metaphor and well placed. I love what you've done with the place, btw :) I'm now a subscriber.
Awesome!
ONE od=f the best videos on water catchment ever seen on RUclips Thansk I am building a forst grden nd trying to figur eout how to cature the water coming down from th emountains this helps
I know Don has ducks in the swales below the ponds, and I also know he cuts the grass in the swales for hay, but I don't know if he moves his goats and sheep and brings in temporary fencing to graze animals in between the garden blocks. I'll see him this weekend and will ask.
Planting solar panels on top of pond would result in less evaporation and free electricity for pumping. Sounds very costly but very effective but this concept has been proved in Gujrat.
looking good!!!
I wish I could visit your Seven Seeds Farm one day!
thanks for sharing!! really inspiring :)
Beautiful farm Don...I wish I could motivate to get my like yours...I am surrounded by chemical corn ag. So sad, but I just planted swaths of perennials.
Angelique
WOW! Amazing and Inspiring!
I love what you've done. Also nice video with the map explanation. I love to see you grow table grapes, cherries, almonds and walnut trees. Is there an update to this video? I hope to visit california one day.
Here is a more recent drone footage update: ruclips.net/video/XZYtATUNgmU/видео.html
Absolutely fascinating😱😊 I love it!
Very good video!
YES!YES!YES THIS IS A WIN WIN!
Amazing!!!!
Super interesting
Make like trenches pond in big size in the upper area its will help to keep underground water table stable. It's very simple when we store the water in upper area its will going down slowly and will rise the underground water table in the lower area. More ponds or trenches in upper more water in downstream area.
I am going to do this on my property.
TeamJK,
I don't really know what software was used. A "new media" student at Oregon State did the animation for me. I know he used Google Earth for the base image, but I don't know how he moved through the image and added the water flow lines. I had to show him the flow pattern and work with Don to get the watershed correctly represented, so it's not something the computer figured out. Sorry I can't answer your question! All the best - Andrew
This system keeps water aquafers full as a consequence of slowing down the water and allowing it to soak into the ground
You need trees on the embankments to hold them and shade the pond from evaporation.
excellent video
You have newts at 4:33????? Awesome !
excellent! Make more videos please
Good work
Fantastic... this is very much like our system in vermont at the exact same latitude and almost the exact rainfall annual avg. I'd love to see this and share our site with you if you ever find yourself in the Northeast. What hardiness zone is this?
Andrew- Thanks for the awesome video! I am soon going to be homesteading. I would love to apply this method as I see the many benefits, like abundance in life. I am just worried however, I've studied geology for quite some time. I know that adding water to a slope can potentially cause mass wasting. Land slides happen because of this. Have you ever worried or observed this sort of thing on your property.
Cory, It's advisable to really understand the geology of a site or consult with a geotechnical engineer before implementing large scale earthworks. I have not personally heard of a landslide induced by a keyline pond system, but I've heard people considering that possibility in the design process. Better safe then sorry ;-)
Very cool, do you put large rocks and tree roots in the ponds or something for the little fish to hide in from the big ones?
You definitely need to think about getting some of our Black Soldier Fly pods for raising grubs. You would be very impressed. KARL
Please learn about Permaculture. Once you study it some, you will realize it is one of the only systems of design which takes EVERYTHING into account if one is a creative and imaginative designer.
This is gorgeous. But if you have a spring that comes out above you, i dont get why you'd decide to have your collection pond 1000feet under you, and then use a powered pump to move it back up... y not place it above you from the get go?
Great garden. you done
amazing job. When you first started your garden have you put 6 inches of food chip or not?
Good stuff! We live right down in White City. I'm doing this kind of thing on our land now. Dug a pond, a swale and putting in more in the future.
Solar power'd pump is a great idea! Did you guys have water rights when you bought the property?
Yes - we have water rights from the year round creek on site
thank you for sharing this video,Its been a yr now researching,watching different methods, to know how farming in a sloping land area, with no river or creek to water the plants beside,and it was dry in summer. and it is more interesting that gave me an idea in sloping and contour or strip lines or swales , and a they build a pond.. the only thing that i feel harder is to take action and where to start doing like this permaculture. I'am from Philippines,forgave me if i don't know how to put in proper sentence my comment, thank you for this video hope that you could gave me some help where to start..
Andrew, what software or online tool was used to generate the aerial graphic topography of the land? it's amazingly helpful as a result of its accuracy and clarity.....better than just a satellite shot with google maps or google earth. I practice permaculture and hope to incorporate these principles on a larger piece of land as well. thanks for any help.
Also, amazing video! fills a real niche when it comes to water management and keyline education and implementation. Keep it Up!
Beautiful farm! Just wander, is there any permit necessary for the earth works? Have not heard anybody talking about the permits! Thanks.
The state of Oregon requires permits for water storage and irrigation from storages at this scale. The process is pretty straight forward. Don's farm has water rights to the creek flowing through the site which he uses to fill the big pond. If you are just filling reservoirs during the wet season, it is pretty easy to get a permit.
The Local Water Master for our region toured our farm and listed all the "rules" we were breaking, then she turned her back and told me that she assumed I would address them all and that we were doing the best job of water management of any farm she had ever seen.
James,
I'm not sure that Don is monitoring these comments, so i'll give you an answer. You can mimic the same patterns of moving the water back and forth across the landscape and keeping the water at it's highest potential in the landscape on any sized site. Contextualizing your site within the greater watershed is a great first step. Check out Brad Lancaster's "Principles of Rainwater Harvesting" for a good start to strategize the flow and how you will integrate with the hydrological cycle.