A backhoe recently contoured a steep hill into 2 shelves. What would be the ideal way to drain this area? For instance, should it be embanked up to run the water next to the hill and make ditches on the hill side? Or should it be embanked down to let water run off the sides into the road ditch? I can get a tractor to do such work. It is just a green area that I plan to plant with ground cover and trees in the upcoming wet season and will receive no vehicle traffic.

Look up swales...it is a way to do permaculture and uses contours to your advantage. pp

Try planting some grass, plants, hedges, trees, whatever first. Then worry about drainage - if you then need to.

Moderator: can you please move this thread to the farming forum?

Reading about swales I think that is a good idea, thanks.

Let's try this in Farming