Reclaiming dry land with low tech

Old Rocks

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Often we have already solved a problem, and just forgotten how to apply that solution. This is a solution that can be applied to dry land just about anywhere, and does not require massive investment. While it does not support massive agriculture, a farmer can feed his family and some neighbors with these methods.

 
Often we have already solved a problem, and just forgotten how to apply that solution. This is a solution that can be applied to dry land just about anywhere, and does not require massive investment. While it does not support massive agriculture, a farmer can feed his family and some neighbors with these methods.

I reclaimed dry land today in a low tech way. The garden hoe was perfect for chopping out large slabs of frozen ice and snow, allowing me to cut two, 2 ft wide tire paths, all the way to the end of my drive, with amazing ease. Yesterday and today is was still frozen so hard, tires didn't make and impact on it, but a strike of the hoe, snapped out large chunks, not frozen to the concrete, though temps have been 20s down to 9 degrees. Low tech worked well. :D
 
Often we have already solved a problem, and just forgotten how to apply that solution. This is a solution that can be applied to dry land just about anywhere, and does not require massive investment. While it does not support massive agriculture, a farmer can feed his family and some neighbors with these methods.

LOL, kind of contrary to OR fining their population for collecting rain water eh?
 
Dryland Wheat farmers have been doing this for decades, I have been on the fields just south of my city and in areas going east 75 miles into the Palouse hills seeing it first hand.
 
LOL, kind of contrary to OR fining their population for collecting rain water eh?
What a dumb post. Perhaps you really should look into what that was about. We have water right laws concerning first settlement. They are still in force. So you cannot dam rainwater if your downstream neighbor has water rights. However, there has been an exception cut out for collection of water coming off your roof. And in Western Oregon, that is ample for personal use. In Eastern Oregon, in some areas, not so much.
 
What a dumb post. Perhaps you really should look into what that was about. We have water right laws concerning first settlement. They are still in force. So you cannot dam rainwater if your downstream neighbor has water rights. However, there has been an exception cut out for collection of water coming off your roof. And in Western Oregon, that is ample for personal use. In Eastern Oregon, in some areas, not so much.
No one dammed any water. The man collected it as it fell from the sky. Shove your fascist BS. You care nothing about the environment as long as you ride your prog. narrative.
 
Often we have already solved a problem, and just forgotten how to apply that solution. This is a solution that can be applied to dry land just about anywhere, and does not require massive investment. While it does not support massive agriculture, a farmer can feed his family and some neighbors with these methods.


Yeah I have posted several videos in my forum about this via Beavers and Bison who do all the work restoring the area they were introduced into.
 
What a dumb post. Perhaps you really should look into what that was about. We have water right laws concerning first settlement. They are still in force. So you cannot dam rainwater if your downstream neighbor has water rights. However, there has been an exception cut out for collection of water coming off your roof. And in Western Oregon, that is ample for personal use. In Eastern Oregon, in some areas, not so much.

It really happened in a few places being a violation of collecting rainwater off their own roofs via regulations have been imposed in a number of states.

LINK
 
Often we have already solved a problem, and just forgotten how to apply that solution. This is a solution that can be applied to dry land just about anywhere, and does not require massive investment. While it does not support massive agriculture, a farmer can feed his family and some neighbors with these methods.


The article you linked to shows a picture of what appears to be barren desert ... why are you calling it lush farmland? ...

Eastern Oregon was put up for homesteading ... live on a 1/4 sq mile parcel for five years and it's yours ... deed and title ... but without water, no one could live there even one year ... so the land went unclaimed and eventually dumped on BLM to manage ...

So my question is how do these magical crescents provide drinking water for a single human? ... you said a farmer and his family ... living where there is no water ... c'mon, free land and no one thought of this? ... drive the 84, right at 97 then left at 20 ... where are all the farms? ...

I hate to go meteorological on you ... but Eastern Oregon is in a rain shadow ... it's the air itself that's dry ... bone dry ... any water at or near the land surface is going to evaporate ... quickly ... no streams, no ponds, just desert floor ... the atmosphere sucking up all the available water like a sponge ...

Click-bait junkie ... I'd be too embarrassed to share that on social media myself ... take some classes at your local college ... I think you'd enjoy that ...
 
What a dumb post. Perhaps you really should look into what that was about. We have water right laws concerning first settlement. They are still in force. So you cannot dam rainwater if your downstream neighbor has water rights. However, there has been an exception cut out for collection of water coming off your roof. And in Western Oregon, that is ample for personal use. In Eastern Oregon, in some areas, not so much.

17 years of Hail Mary hope passes in this forum... thousands
Pontification passes on the "science"
Virtually none have been completed. :deal:


9781608194667.webp
 
No one dammed any water. The man collected it as it fell from the sky. Shove your fascist BS. You care nothing about the environment as long as you ride your prog. narrative.
And how did he collect it as it fell from the sky? That you are ignorant of Western water rights laws does not surprise me. The majority of the people in the US are ignorant of them.
 
The article you linked to shows a picture of what appears to be barren desert ... why are you calling it lush farmland? ...

Eastern Oregon was put up for homesteading ... live on a 1/4 sq mile parcel for five years and it's yours ... deed and title ... but without water, no one could live there even one year ... so the land went unclaimed and eventually dumped on BLM to manage ...

So my question is how do these magical crescents provide drinking water for a single human? ... you said a farmer and his family ... living where there is no water ... c'mon, free land and no one thought of this? ... drive the 84, right at 97 then left at 20 ... where are all the farms? ...

I hate to go meteorological on you ... but Eastern Oregon is in a rain shadow ... it's the air itself that's dry ... bone dry ... any water at or near the land surface is going to evaporate ... quickly ... no streams, no ponds, just desert floor ... the atmosphere sucking up all the available water like a sponge ...

Click-bait junkie ... I'd be too embarrassed to share that on social media myself ... take some classes at your local college ... I think you'd enjoy that ...
Barren desert is where this kind of farming works. And the idea is not drinking water, but water preserved in soil long enough to get a good crop. Where are all the farms? Many in plain sight from the highway. Wherever there is an aquifer, there is a farm. And the whole of Eastern Oregon is not desert. There is the John Day River, the Silvies, the Malhuer, the Powder, and more.

Some classes at my local community college? How about all the 200 level classes in physics, geology, chemistry, and even some 300 level classes in math. And I am well acquainted with Eastern Oregon, as my maternal grandparents had a ranch there. That is also my playground for hunting rocks.
 
Barren desert is where this kind of farming works. And the idea is not drinking water, but water preserved in soil long enough to get a good crop. Where are all the farms? Many in plain sight from the highway. Wherever there is an aquifer, there is a farm. And the whole of Eastern Oregon is not desert. There is the John Day River, the Silvies, the Malhuer, the Powder, and more.

Some classes at my local community college? How about all the 200 level classes in physics, geology, chemistry, and even some 300 level classes in math. And I am well acquainted with Eastern Oregon, as my maternal grandparents had a ranch there. That is also my playground for hunting rocks.

Obviously you don't understand climate ... Eastern Oregon is "cold semi-arid desert" climate ... Köppen Class BSk ... there's less than 10 inches of annual rainfall ... and nothing in the summer ... you know this, stop lying ...

Hunting rock in the desert because the rain forests all have two feet of duff ... what upper division math classes did you take at your community college to come to that conclusion? ...

You can't live on land if there's no drinking water ... stupid ...
 
15th post
Obviously you don't understand climate ... Eastern Oregon is "cold semi-arid desert" climate ... Köppen Class BSk ... there's less than 10 inches of annual rainfall ... and nothing in the summer ... you know this, stop lying ...

Hunting rock in the desert because the rain forests all have two feet of duff ... what upper division math classes did you take at your community college to come to that conclusion? ...

You can't live on land if there's no drinking water ... stupid ...
Ah well, apparently you value your stupidity. 35% of Eastern Oregon is forested. And even in the desert there are springs, especially near mountains. And the Eastern Oregon desert has plenty of mountains.

Eastern Oregon forests are characterized by diverse ecosystems, primarily dominated by ponderosa pine, and face challenges such as wildfires and insect outbreaks.

Overview​

Eastern Oregon is home to a variety of forest types, with approximately 35% of the region being forested. The predominant tree species include ponderosa pine, which thrives in the region's dry, continental climate. Other species such as lodgepole pine and mixed-conifer forests are also present, contributing to the ecological diversity of the area.

USDA+1

Ecological​

The forests in Eastern Oregon have evolved over thousands of years, adapting to a regime of frequent wildfires. These fires, historically ignited by both natural causes and indigenous practices, have shaped the structure and composition of the forests. The region's forests are woven into a diverse topography that includes open grasslands and sagebrush areas, providing a habitat for various wildlife species.

OregonForests.org+1

Management​

Management of Eastern Oregon forests is complex, involving federal and state agencies as well as private landowners. About 71% of the forests are managed by federal agencies, while the remaining are privately owned. The primary management goals include maintaining wildlife habitats, promoting recreation, and ensuring sustainable timber production.

USDA

However, these forests face significant challenges, including:

Conclusion​

Eastern Oregon forests are vital ecosystems that provide numerous benefits, including clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. Understanding their ecology and implementing effective management strategies are essential for enhancing their resilience against the threats they face. As conditions continue to change, proactive measures will be necessary to sustain these important natural resources for future generations.

USDA
Forests of eastern Oregon: an overview. - US Forest Service Research ...


Ore
 
I have been in Eastern Oregon many times as I live just 35 miles north of the border, was there 2 summers ago went to Ukiah to visit the Blue Mountain Star party site which my astronomy clubs attend every year, there were plenty of pine trees and cool weather and water as the community with some houses exist.

The Wallowa's in NE Oregon is cold and snowy in the winters, and still cool and humid in the summer. It is true a large part of Eastern Oregon is high desert but the summers are not commonly hot even cooler in some areas to the east and south as I did a lot of looking around to find a place to live to feed by needs for very dark night skies to feed my Stargazing habit.

Bend Oregon is a cool area with possible frost all twelve months of the year as the average lows in Bend is in the upper 40's in the summer with a massive population explosion from just 20,000 in 1990 to 104,000 today which means they have the water available to support it.

The Northern part of Eastern Oregon is hot and dry, but as you move southward it gets cooler and less dry as the rain shadow is smaller as there are gaps in the southern Oregon Cascades that are simply not very high allowing some additional moisture to flow in.

Have been at the Oregon Star party in the Ochoco Mountains at the 5,000' elevation back in the late 1990's with my 25" F5 Obsession Telescope oh it was so much fun!

Have dug some fossils at Fossil Oregon 15 years ago which was in a hill off the end of a football field but now that has been stopped to a regulated dig due to having too many people digging up the hillside.

Then we have the big Steens mountains.......
 
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Ah well, apparently you value your stupidity. 35% of Eastern Oregon is forested. And even in the desert there are springs, especially near mountains. And the Eastern Oregon desert has plenty of mountains.

Eastern Oregon forests are characterized by diverse ecosystems, primarily dominated by ponderosa pine, and face challenges such as wildfires and insect outbreaks.

Overview​

Eastern Oregon is home to a variety of forest types, with approximately 35% of the region being forested. The predominant tree species include ponderosa pine, which thrives in the region's dry, continental climate. Other species such as lodgepole pine and mixed-conifer forests are also present, contributing to the ecological diversity of the area.
USDA+1

Ecological​

The forests in Eastern Oregon have evolved over thousands of years, adapting to a regime of frequent wildfires. These fires, historically ignited by both natural causes and indigenous practices, have shaped the structure and composition of the forests. The region's forests are woven into a diverse topography that includes open grasslands and sagebrush areas, providing a habitat for various wildlife species.
OregonForests.org+1

Management​

Management of Eastern Oregon forests is complex, involving federal and state agencies as well as private landowners. About 71% of the forests are managed by federal agencies, while the remaining are privately owned. The primary management goals include maintaining wildlife habitats, promoting recreation, and ensuring sustainable timber production.
USDA
However, these forests face significant challenges, including:

Conclusion​

Eastern Oregon forests are vital ecosystems that provide numerous benefits, including clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. Understanding their ecology and implementing effective management strategies are essential for enhancing their resilience against the threats they face. As conditions continue to change, proactive measures will be necessary to sustain these important natural resources for future generations.

USDA
Forests of eastern Oregon: an overview. - US Forest Service Research ...

Ore

AI thinking for you ...again ...

Then why isn't anybody doing this magic mound thing? ... you already agreed, there's not enough water to support communities and farmsteads ... without drinking water for the farmers family, what good are the crops ...

Food grown in California will always be cheaper ... Eastern Oregon isn't worth the money ... go drive Hwy 20 ... see for yourself ...

"Changing precipitation patterns" ... that's how you programmed your AI ... it's designed to tell you what you want to hear ... and what products you need to buy ... here ... www.amazom.com ... hurry now ... buy this and that ... sad to say, precipitation patterns aren't changing ... not until the Cascades disappear ...
 
AI thinking for you ...again ...

Then why isn't anybody doing this magic mound thing? ... you already agreed, there's not enough water to support communities and farmsteads ... without drinking water for the farmers family, what good are the crops ...

Food grown in California will always be cheaper ... Eastern Oregon isn't worth the money ... go drive Hwy 20 ... see for yourself ...

"Changing precipitation patterns" ... that's how you programmed your AI ... it's designed to tell you what you want to hear ... and what products you need to buy ... here ... www.amazom.com ... hurry now ... buy this and that ... sad to say, precipitation patterns aren't changing ... not until the Cascades disappear ...
Lordy, lordy, the whole idea of that method was for subsistence farming. In other words, where you are just trying to grow enough for your family. Nor was it ever suggested that it be used for major commercial agriculture. I have driven every paved highway in Oregon. There are families making a good living ranching and raising hay along Hwy 20. Not many, as there has to be an aquifer to draw the water from, but they are there.
 

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