To build Water Canal

[Sebastian Yanto]

Dear all 

 

 

As as I need to ask advise.

I am planning in digging water canal  ('kut lum') around zone of old existing trees. 

Imagine: creating a island of 2Mx8M with existing of mango, Jack, lime tree.

Surrounded by water canal 1Mx0,5M

Then outer layer I plan to plant big trees & other plans including long root grass.

Function to catch rain & moist (lessen watering chore)

 

My question how to keep water in canal as much, if not how to retain at best.

Cheapest & 1 man show kind of solution, I expect it won't be as perfect as effective 

any suggestion 

 

1). I don't want to cement, no machinery & not sure about planting grass.

or 'Yaa Fek', as no occupant for another 3 years to take care.

2). Is claying at bottom canal works best ('Kii Bhua + Fang mix), Any other suggestion please?

4) if need to purchase material or labor engagement/assistant, budget at max 1,000bath/zone 

* I am hoping to get as close result of 'Sai Kai' of a KOG NONG NAA model 

 

Thank you so much 

[cooked]

Anything similar in your neighbourhood? The locals should be able to help. Around here during the rainy season the water table is about one metre higher than the ground. However in summer many of the ponds dry out almost completely including ours which is 8 metres deep.

Traditionally clay would be used, both sides and bottom. If this dries out cracks may form that won't seal so easily, so you need, somehow, to get vegetation on the banks both to provide shade and prevent erosion.

A LOT of work.

[Sebastian Yanto]

Hi cooked 

 

I just went 'Oblonk' a seminar runs by used to be Archan in agriculture, he helped King Rama 9 doing all the 'King Projects' all over Thailand.

He is in charge mostly in rural location with water problem, following King's footstep.

 

He runs a local seminar for local Thai farmer's and I get a whole of their teaching and 

Its proven and he has a follower but some monoculture, multi crops & chemical usage are common and some are not believe in these method.

 

As u knoe we are 2 sides of (rice mono) farmer - the one who always blame others (price, land no good, can't keep water-etc) 

and the other who dig hole-keep water- irrigation-no chemical-home made fertilizer

 

The method called 'KOG Nong Naa' 

hill pond field, sustainability in farming 

So many subject 

 

but about canal is 

the best way is;

- to dig too pond more than 6M, lay clay packed mix (I am looking for the correct ratio here, straw+cow dung) bottom side, if 1st time don't work - dry pond and redo clay layer 

- to plant glass (roots reached >5M)

called 'yaa Fek' stubborn hardy grass, which I intend to opt out 

 

I am looking from organic, non commercials & sustainability angle 

 

 

[farmerjo]

You will need to consider an angle of 60 degrees on your canal otherwise you will spend a lot of time cleaning out the collapsed areas.

[Sebastian Yanto]

Farmejo

 

Noted on that thanks 

good point 

 

keep it coming, it's gonna be fun

 

thanks 

[islandguy]

We have a design based on the King’s principles. Overflow from a pond goes down the ditch, winds around some trees on a raised level, and then encircles a 15x25m area with rows of trees planted. Since we have year round irrigation available it is not quite the same situation. This ditch is not sealed. However, the water that flows in is going into the ground, including near the trees, which are doing well in their second and third years. Water flow is turned on some of the time, off some of the time. If you seal the ditch, only water going over the seal will be going into the soil. So I would say getting a pond that holds water, and then if the pond is far from the trees to seal part of the run to the trees would be the way to go. Getting the water to flow where you want it to go is a whole other question. For low cost, I would go with straight clay to seal pond. We tried clay impregnated liner, which didn’t work, than converted to plastic liner for upper ponds. A separate lower pond hit the water level and keeps water year round without a liner.