Swale Benefits. A Swale Defined. It is located on the south side of the Thames estuary at its mouth. Chambers Dictionary, Edinburgh, 1998, p. 1668. a … swale. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Such a swale may be either natural or man-made. In arid climates, vegetation (existing or planted) along the swale can benefit from the concentration of runoff. In this context it is usually a water-harvesting ditch on contour, also called a contour bund.[3][4]. A permaculture swale is a shallow trench dug along the land’s contour, with a berm on the downhill side created with soil from the trench. Swales in the garden provide excellent storage spaces for water while also cleaning and dispersing it. Artificial swales are often infiltration basins, designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration. A swale’s regulating function is enhanced by the processes of evaporation, infiltration into the surrounding soil and transpiration. Swales, ditches, berms, and water gardens are all part of municipal water management in many regions. The swale is vegetated with flood tolerant, erosion resistant plants. A swale is a shady spot, or a sunken or marshy place. by Muheli October 09, 2009 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? A daily challenge for crossword fanatics. A shallow troughlike depression that carries water mainly during rainstorms or snow melts. [2], This swale concept has also been popularized as a rainwater harvesting and soil conservation strategy by Bill Mollison, Geoff Lawton, and other advocates of permaculture. Swale definition is - a low-lying or depressed and often wet stretch of land; also : a shallow depression on a golf course. Do you have a linear or curvilinear path that is low-lying and less frequently mowed than surrounding areas? Send us feedback. Berms are the raised sides of a swale that contain filtering vegetation and porous soil. Having a swale also provides a place for the water to go, rather than flooding private property. A swale is a combination of a trench dug on a contour, with a berm on the downhill side. Swales also keep most of the water off the road, which provides a longer life for the road. Figure out a way to keep water from flowing there, such as by extending gutter downspouts or by building a, Maslo and her team are softening the hard curvature of the, Upon impact, the Cobalt was propelled upright at a near 90-degree angle before falling onto a roadside. Swales are linear grass covered depressions which lead surface water overland from the drained surface to a storage or discharge system, typically using road verges. Find more ways to say swale, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Matt Hancock will be announcing the allocations later today (November 26), with Swale and Thanet currently recording the highest two COVID-19 infection rates in … A drainage swale is a vegetated channel used in land development designs to divert stormwater runoff usually to a waterway, a storm sewer inlet, or a stormwater management basin. Plants suck up the water along a swale’s gently sloping banks and sometimes down the center of the channel. As verbs the difference between ditch and swale is that ditch is or ditch can be to discard or abandon while swale is (melt and waste away, or singe). In simple terms, they are generally shallow ditches that have gently sloping sides. A drainage swale is often also referred to as a ditch or a grass channel and is located in open grass areas or along the side of a road or driveway. Use the series of swales to direct water runoff throughout your garden, making it soak into your garden beds under the mulch. Additionally, a swale is best used in reforestation of degraded, mostly-bare, arid or semi-arid hillsides, to direct water to trees. Definition of swale Categorized under "General"Definition as written by Greenwood: A low tract of land, especially when moist or marshy. Makes perfect sense, right? Swale, borough (district), administrative and historic county of Kent, southeastern England. A long, narrow, usually shallow trough between ridges on a beach, running parallel to the coastline. Gravel works but is costly, and you have to haul it up to the swale. What is the difference between a berm and a swale? Begin filling the swale. A grass swale is defined as an earth channel typically lined with turfgrasses designed to capture, convey, and treat stormwater runoff from small drainage areas by a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes (Barrett et al. By organizing your suburban backyard into a cascading series of mini swales, you can grow plenty of fruits and vegetables with minimal additional water. Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England and is bounded by Medway to the west, Canterbury to the east, Ashford to the south and Maidstone to the south west. Swales can be part of an area’s natural landscaping, or they can be created to help ensure proper drainage, minimize runoff or capture storm water. If periods of exceptionally heavy rain are anticipated, overflows can be created to link to watercourses , storage ponds or wetlands . If … Artificial swales are often infiltration basins, designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. Does it often stay wet and “spongy” when you walk across it? [1] In particular, in US usage, it is a shallow channel with gently sloping sides. Drainage swales are one of several types of surface drainage systems that slowly filter runoff water as it sinks into the soil while redirected to another location. A swale is designed to collect rainwater on your property and the only way to do this without a pump is by gravity flow. Learn a new word every day. (swāl) n. 1. How does the water get into the swale? Therefore, a trench along the contour captures water in the landscape, slowing and spreading it across the contour line. See synonyms for swale on Thesaurus.com noun Chiefly Northeastern U.S. a low place in a tract of land, usually moister and often having ranker vegetation than the adjacent higher land. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swale.' This technique, also known as a bioswale, infiltration swale and berm ‘n’ basin, is used to intercept water and surface runoff so it can be absorbed into the soil. A swale is a sort of ditch, which is dug ‘on contour’, to catch the rainwater before it runs away, and soak it into the soil. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! In general terms, a swale is a depression in the ground engineered to carry rainwater through gravity to the desired destination. The district is named after the narrow channel called The Swale, that separates the mainland of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey, and which occupies … Delivered to your inbox! 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. The vintage trash is mostly gone now, but despite cleanup efforts, the waste continues to collect in stream beds, Streets lined with homes look like ghost towns, while parking lots and. As nouns the difference between ditch and swale is that ditch is or ditch can be a trench; a long, shallow indentation, as for irrigation or drainage while swale is a low tract of moist or marshy land or swale can be (uk|dialect) a gutter … This path or swale may even Accessed 24 Feb. 2021. Trees and shrubs along the swale can provide shade and mulch which decrease evaporation. It provides temporary storage for … A swale is a sloped soil, grassy area located in between the edge of the road and the “right-of-way” line, which may be a sidewalk or front yard. This type of swale is created by digging a ditch on contour and piling the dirt on the downhill side of the ditch to create a berm. The term "swale" or "beach swale" is also used to describe long, narrow, usually shallow troughs between ridges or sandbars on a beach, that run parallel to the shoreline.[5]. Swales follow the contours around the base of a natural or created slope, redirecting storm water and filtering runoff as it sinks into the soil, instead of keeping it in one place, like a rain garden. Definition as written by Terry: A swale can be disguised as a dry creek providing interest to the landscape when dry, and acting to divert and direct water runoff after heavy rains. Mark the contour line. swale (noun) A depression in the ground that carries water runoff. Residents in Swale and all over Kent are all eagerly awaiting to discover what Tier they have been put into. Q: Recently, my neighbor made a swale through his land to gather rainwater or melting snow from his land. A swale is one of those permaculture terms that probably gets thrown around to readily (or inaccurately) and perhaps implemented irresponsibly. What does swale mean? A swale is often dug alongside or diagonally crossing a dirt road or foot trail to control erosion. What made you want to look up swale? Swales are also perfect for those of us wanting to build no-dig garden beds, as digging the (swale) paths provides the necessary topsoil. Only a few years into my permaculture career, I have certainly been guilty of this, and I have distinct memories of mistakes I made with regards to both attempting to construct swales and putting … A swale is a depression created in the ground that carries rainwater by gravity away from your home and property. A swale is a shady spot, or a sunken or marshy place. Use a contour level and utility flags to mark the contour line every 6 … “Swale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swale. "Water Harvesting: Microcatchment Contour Bunds", United Nations Office for Project Services, "Wetlands of the Great Lakes Open Shoreline and Embayed Wetlands", Wetlands of the Great Lakes: The Beach Swale & Dune and Swale Types, Video showing swales used to rehabilitate desert terrain, A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia, Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swale_(landform)&oldid=1004215945, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 February 2021, at 15:58. The swale is … 3. 2. The more water that is soaked into the soil, the less supplemental water is needed to water what is growing in the soil. Swale borough includes the Isle of Sheppey, 9 miles (14 km) long and 4 miles (6 km) wide, to the north. Another word for swale. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 1998). All points along a contour line are exactly the same height above sea level. Grassed Swales A grassed swale is a graded and engineered landscape feature appearing as a linear, shallow, open channel with trapezoidal or parabolic shape. Unlike a conventional ditch, a swale is shallow and relatively wide. In particular, in US usage, it is a shallow channel with gently sloping sides. A low tract of land, especially when moist or marshy. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Definition as written by pipstar: A Swale is a ditch on the contour. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for swale, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swale. Because swales convey water by gravity flow, it is common to see swales throughout Lee County with water within them. Swale is defined as a narrow or shallow piece of land. Such a swale may be either natural or man-made. Swales as used in permaculture are designed to slow and capture runoff by spreading it horizontally across the landscape (along an elevation contour line), facilitating runoff infiltration into the soil. The purpose is to slow and control the flow of water to prevent flooding, puddling, and erosion and/or avoid overwhelming the storm drain system. A swale is like a ditch but it’s broad and shallow, and usually covered or lined with turfgrass or other vegetation.