'The energy in water dissipates when it crashes into itself, comes back in itself' if you watch water and see how the speed is taken out of itself, you will realise that if you put three rocks in a triangle shape in front of the gabion, then the water will hit that first, fold in on itself, dissipate a little. Then all the force of the water is not crashing into the gabion. This also shakes the dirt out of the water. The more you can put i front on the gabion, the slower the water will be when it hits. Try it with a little stream. Even small rocks work. If you are going to play with water, you need to learn this basic fact.
My dad did something similar with gullies and washes on his property but he used chicken wire to manage the rocks. He anchored two layers of chicken wire across a wash secured by metal stakes driven into the ground on either side, then piled rocks on the upstream side. After a few years water stood in these areas for weeks after a rain and sediment built up leveling out the wash.
dont just dump the stones into the gabions. Make rough dry stone walls inside the gabions, put the stones down in courses. Or they will sag and bend the steel, then break. take that bit more time to do it properly. dont waste time and effort. keep it up dude, but do it right.
Come on Tim. So you have a procedure for filling a Gabion? Why don’t you post it. Shaun there is also something called a Hesco barrier which is like a Gabion but they have a heavy fabric liner. Those might work better in some areas as they can be fitted with plain dirt. With regards to Gabions some are made with heavy gauge chicken type wire with doesn’t require such large rocks. Lastly I would look for some army surplus stuff. Shade and water is most important. Military cots get you off the ground and should be cheap and reasonable comfortable. Camouflaged netting, paracord, stakes ect. are all online surplus and super cheap.
@@TomBTerrific its not my idea. I live in the mountains in Spain and there are many gabions made by the councils and on private land. The stones are laid in courses inside the frame of the gabion. 3mm chain link wire is used for the frame of the gabions. Come on Tom. Your proposal imports plastics and other unpleasant materials to clean land.
Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia Spain where we currently live through a drought and we are creating swales. We take some courage from your project. Thank you for sharing
Anything you can do to rob velocity from the water. I would say that if you intend to build gabions, the details are critical and you should invest some time in learning proper construction. For starters, though, three things: tie them into the banks and make sure the center of the gabion is lower than the outer edges. These two details will help prevent flowing water from eroding the bank. The third thing is to provide an apron for water falling over the gabion to prevent the water from eroding the base and bringing the entire structure down. Keep up the good work!
I get pretty excited when I see you’ve posted. Then I get comfortable and like during the intro. Thanks for showing us and taking us along with you on your adventure.
Find the collected videos from Geoff Lawton, who used a number of techniques in the Jordan desert to get water retaining done. It an amazing job they've done. Swales, troughs or trenches built "on contour" are a great start. They slow water, and if you fill the swales with dead materials from the land, that material becomes a sort of sponge to absorb, release water as well as cooling the soils. Going from .5 inches /year of rain to a food forest.
So in those small seasonal streams, keep putting rocks but also include straw under it or other natural materials able to slow the flow of water, absorve and sustain moisture and protect the solid underground from sunlight. You may also either plant something alongside or put some sort of shading to decrease the exposure. Is better to retain moisture in areas where moisture is already naturally presented than in the slopes or hills as there the water will evaporate. As plants start to grow they will spread through the slopes and creat a positive feedback loop. Make sure to protect the area from grazing animals. I would also recommend you to create a garden with artificial irrigation to see the behaviour of the soil and which plants appear by its own and which ones you can introduce.
As a software developer who bought some land and a tractor a few years ago I can give you one great piece of advice: Buy the equipment and store it on the land. Learn to use it. There is no way you will get anywhere hiring heavy equipment operators. The costs are too high and you need the feedback you get from being on the equipment. You need to become very comfortable with your bobcat, track hoe, etc. You need diesel stored out there and all the stuff to maintain your equipment. That is a million times cheaper and faster than the way you are trying to get this done. This project makes no financial sense (it actually destroys value instead of creating it) so you can't proceed by spending money and delegating.
So much fun to watch this transformation at the front end of this project! I'm glad I found you! I was involved in a similar project in the north fork of the burnt river in northeastern OR 30 yrs ago now. We built our rock dams with some t posts and wire fencing. Recycling old T posts. We used hay bales (both whole and scattered in the wash upsream of our dams) and prunings of bushes and brush to add detritus. Suggestions for your project... try to use as many rocks that are scattered nearby as you can. (All of the rocks in the wash help to slow the rainwater down and if you use them all for your dam it will ultimately allow the rushing water to speed up and smash your dam with more velocity.) Prune dead wood from any shrubs any time you want. Otherwise a light pruning at the right time of year can help you source more detritus. (Again source these live prunings from shrubs outside the riparian zone) lots of fun!!! I wish i could be there... I'm in the denver area though.😢
You should start a survival camp on the farm.... And don't forget to put some wild cameras up the gabions. If it rains you can watch if it works and how improvements are needed.
I wonder if introducing some of the native grasses that once covered the area would be possible. Maybe a good idea later on down the road once you have some coverage and water retention in the soil.
I’ve just discovered your channel Shaun and I’ve been really enjoying it. It feels like I’m there and I really like all the footage of you talking on camera and telling the story. It’s a great mix. Of course I also really love what you are doing ecologically, not just in your area but how your videos will inspire others globally! Keep up the good work.
Great video I am doing the same type of thing... lots of digging... going to dig lots of holes and line them with organic matter and charcoal so that they will eventually hold water and be able to become fertile so that I can plant in them... and then the roots will help hold water even more. Thanks for sharing can’t wait to se the outcome when the rains come... so cool man 👍🏼
Out in that heat you should get a half dozen of those old evaporative desert canteen water bags - i haven't seen those since I was a child in the early 1970s - they actually get the water pretty cold, ice cold when a fan is blown on one
Get a Home Depot prefab home or large storage, insulate it well surrounding it with dry bamboo to prevent direct sun light. Use bamboos to cover and make shade where rain may get collected. Very cheap and basic for now
Great restoration works.. its preserves nature in good shape for next generations. Thanks for what your doing may many more do it in west in particular California, Arizona, Texas, new Mexico etc.
Nice job but, I don't think that the steel welded wire fabric is gaining you much. Just use the rocks. Use the bigger rocks to build the basic stone wall and fill in both sides with small rocks. If you could find free chain link fence, it can work well as containment for small rocks. A Shelterlogic tent garage with a silver tarp over it will make a good cheap structure but be sure to anchor it down very well. Good Luck, Rick
Hello Shawn, I’ve started following your blog on reforesting your section of the dessert. Very interesting and looking forward to what the days ahead will bring. You’ll eventually get there mate 👍🏻
Love the content and can’t wait to watch this place glow up over the years so keep posting. As an environmental engineer (mostly in hydraulics and geotechnics) this project is extremely interesting. If I could recommend a couple things, not sure about the local ecology but wild grasses are extremely beneficial to transition dry hydrophobic soil into lush water trapping soil. This also sounds a little counter intuitive but wildfires are also extremely beneficial if you can do them in a controlled manner and not let them get too hot where they bake the subsurface. Also if you create areas where you want to trap water for longer periods and seepage is too fast (not sure your soil conditions) but bentonite clay is extremely good as slowing seepage in order to have a little more control over the hydraulics
I have heard that smaller low gabions work best. Once the area behind them has filled with debris, a second small gabion can be built on top and just behind the first. This can be repeated. The result is a gabion in a step formation, and it's very stable.
@christopherburns9588 mentioned about scrap yards for shading materials and water catchment. I think he has a good idea, especially during your experimental phase. I'd definitely hit scrap yards anywhere from where you live to the Dustup for barrier building materials. I don't know if it's the same out west but here in PA you can usually get metal from a scrap yard at scrap prices. no sense buying brand new fencing material until its time to fully implement the final Dustup methods.
So much this. Fertilizer and the microbes needed to create better healthy soil are essential. It might be too dry, but it could be great to mycelium underneath the ground to help with nutrient transfer... seems like there's a lot of dirt out there but not so much soil
You can improve the soot with eggshells. Collect them at home - ask your neighbors and the volunteers to bring them in bags and when you make a campfire burn them. That woodash/eggshell mix is farmers gold.
Reoccurring theme in land reclamation: slowing down the water. I see it in video's from Australia to Colorado. Leaky damns as they are called. Humans taking the place of Beavers.
A happy and healthy forest of ocotillos can sometimes indicate the presence of caverns underneath. Apparently they like the same sort of conditions that also come with cave formation.
@@dustupstexas yes, that's how they discovered Kartchner Caverns here in Southern Arizona. I like your aerial map graphics you've started using...helps to get an understanding of your area.
Primary it means they get enough water to grow and the soil has also enough nutrients for them. Maybe one of the most fertitle spots in the washes. You should plant fruit trees or bushes there between the ocotilos. Animal will eat them and let their poop as fertilizer.
You must be in West Texas. Would avoid gabions as they fail. Smaller and more frequent is better than larger, as tsmaller is less prone to failure and less work, expense, etc in the long run. Think you'll mote likely end up with a savanna, which supports more life than either a meadow or forest. This counts as permaculture pron in my book. (Misspelling is deliberate, cut you know.) Looking forward to this regreening. Am subbing and hoping you'll post often on the progress. Also subbed to Brad Lancaster out of Tucson, who does rainwater harvesting/regreening projects too.
It is exciting to see that you are gaining momentum and learning what tools you are going to need on a daily basis. I am excited to see how the gabions perform and how quickly silt and rock and branches build up. Any scrap yard within a reasonable distance, to get something to build a rain catchment system and provide a large shady area for tents? Can’t wait for your next video👍
@@dustupstexas Used solar panels can sometimes be bought for cheaper per square foot than plywood. They don't produce 100% of the rated wattage, but some come close. Excess power could be used to power air-water extraction.
Side dump bucket on a skid steer would help fill up those gabions. You could always make some sort of fork liftable 'sleeve' out of 1/4" plate steel to put inside the gabion basket to take the initial dump buckling off those weak wire walls, then remove the sleeve with the forks. Another option would be to just get a used dump bed , skid steer scoup and mix mortar mixer to mix up some mortar, dump it on the rocks, then scoup up the slurry of large rock aggregate and mortar and side dump it into some heavy duty forms to cure for a day or so, then turn the forms. Something like super block 2'x2'x4' forms.
Every home and business should install a rain water collection and storage system along with solar panels. Even in areas where rain is infrequent it is crazy to waste the little rain that does fall and waste it. We need to stop planting green lawns and switch to local native plantings around homes. It is crazy to plant lawns and build golf courses in dry desert areas. We waste too much water and electricity.
Ive been thinking of doing this on the Franklin Mountains in El Paso. So much potential there and the climate is pretty much identical to yours. Saw a video about doing this on a large scale in Mexico and Arizona over 10 years ago and the results were amazing. I feel parts of the western face of the Franklin Mountain could be turned into similar sky islands as the Organ Mountains sky islands near Las Cruces, NM.
Hey friend nice to meet you. I'm on the same page as you we need to Green up this RGV desert. The rainfall this past summer was pitiful. Getting green up on these mountains will increase rainfall for the future generations and charge our depleting groundwater.
Power via a generator and a gas supply, coupled with Star Link for internet and communications would be my first priority, followed by permanent shelter. At least then, you're able to communicate with the outside world in an emergency. Anything can happen, one fall and a broken bone can put you into serious trouble. Minimum, a satellite phone would be a good idea, since you can easily get one and recharge it using your vehicle.
Really enjoying this project. I own land somewhere just west of yours I bought 25 years ago. Thinking I might go hunting there sometime also if Texas were to secede I would have a foot in the door. Life gets in the way and I've never seen it but your videos show me what it's like. If I were able I would be there helping. Praise God be safe and conquer that desert.
I love the gabion idea.. I think you’ve got something going with this. I absolutely love this project! I’m a charter pilot but I only occasionally get to this part of the country. If I had your coordinates, I’d plug it into my ForeFlight software and keep an eye out if I’m in the area…. It would be from 40k +/- feet but fun nonetheless.
You need a Comms volunteer. A few affordable vhf/uhf radios, antennas solar panels and batteries. It will help you communicate and find people much faster.
Hopefully next year Texas won’t be in the same drought we experienced this year. Some rain would be nice to show how well your efforts will work. Seems like a good plan right now though! Once you get water and can start planting things I would highly suggest some Texas Oaks. Oak trees roots are able to add nitrogen into the soil, nitrogen that many plants need in order to grow. Not sure how they would do in west Texas but they do wonderful in the Texas hill country, not to mention they tolerate drought rather well. Hill country is on an Escapement and most of our “dirt” is rock and caliche. We dug a trench across our property and under the oaks is beautiful rich brown soil, everywhere else is dry white caliche. Texas oaks would be the way to go if they can tolerate West Texas climate conditions.
There are many native oaks, but they need higher rainfall. They almost always grow at higher elevations. Scientists this year discovered a Texas oak near Big Bend that was previously believed extinct.
I think the climate simply doesn't support oak out there. Otherwise, they would be there already. You might be able to find a plant that can survive in the desert and provide that function, a pioneer/keystone species, like the oak. I liked cholla, but it's pretty hazardous.
“To the dry and barren desert have the Brothers brought the Angel of water that she might bring forth a garden and a green place”. The Essene Gospel of Peace, pg 161. 🙏🏻
You might want to contact my little homestead . They had a company come out and scan the ground, and tell them where the water was. It wasn't too pricey either . You might also look into a trencher. You push it. I don't think you should give up on your L damh . Cattle panels and larger rocks . I hope this helps you.
If you haven’t already it would be good to talk with Mr. John Wells of The Field Lab Project. I am sure he can share some good advice. He has been in that region of Texas for several years. I believe he is in Terlingua.
7:30 You definitely need to hydrate yourselves. Keep in mind you are breathing thinner air, so you are breathing in and out more air... With moisture leaving faster. I think hydration bladders might not be a bad idea.
@@dustupstexas Exactly. You have to learn from each lesson, adapt and move forward. Hopefully no one gets heat exhaustion. I look forward to part 2 of your sand bag shelter build.
You need some tarahumara Indians from chihuahua. Fantastic workers for building trincheras and making roads by hand. What they can do is amazing. After working with them on my ranch, I now believe nothing is impossible if you want it and have the men.
I saw a guy in Australia use Rolls of discarded carpet to make dams. They absorb water and grass can grow in them. You should consider buying grass seed from Native American Seed Company and sprinkle them in the gabons.
This is so exciting, I love seeing that there is a new video available. It's fantastic to see so many people willing to help out! I know you have so much plans/things to do Shaun, but it would indeed be amazing to see some wildlife camera set up on the gabions to see them in action. Thank you to the volunteers as well! Wish I could join you.
because you mentioned your chainsaw was out of gas, how about going solar out there? there are, mostly from youtubers, solar panel system where you can collect energy and then re-load your electric chainsaw. and the electric chainsaw is good as one with gas. just an input from my side. all in all a very nice project
This approach is going to be a thousand times more effective in every sense of the word as digging a big amount of shallow holes all over the place. 👍 I would call it the beaver water management approach. 🦫You get all the desired effects in local areas of the land with a single structure. And with enough of those structures working in conjunction you can cover a large piece of land.
У нас водятся бобры, это Западная Сибирь. Я видел их плотины, это хворост вперемешку с грязью и камнями. А ещё они делают плотины, что бы по воде траспортировать ветки осины и ивы к хатке. Это болотистый ручей перегорожен плотинами каждые 15-25 метров. Удивительные животные.
I hope to see some big, wide desert style swales at some point to catch and hold that rain when it comes. There's nothing prettier or more useful for hydrating a desert landscape than swales on contour. 3' to 4' to 6' wide and a foot or two deep, (depending on slope) to begin that underground water seeping magic. You need overflows to large ponds too to hold ALL the water possible. You can then throw compost on the swales, plant 'em with grazing grasses (not in that order... :) and have long meandering, linear grazing paddocks for cattle, sheep, goats or whatever (Gourmet Mangalitsa pigs that graze and don't root and tear up the ground...?!) (Bison! Heh) while the rest of the areas outside the swales are slowly hydrating and starting to sprout grasses of their own too. Not to mention the huge benefit that you then will have from LEVEL pathways going EVERYWHERE for walking, transport of tools and materials with say a quad and its little trailer. Also, some people dig sections of them real deep (deep as possible) and then have narrow, linear little ponds on contour to swim your laps in... :) Or grow ducks, geese, fish and water plants in, not to mention further, deep, extensive hydration action bringing up the water table. It's very exciting what you are doing! Can you do it like, tomorrow please? Heh.
@@dustupstexas Oooh, terraces are a lotta work but so beautiful. 40 acres is still a lot though! Most terraced areas have been developed over centuries. But I'm sure you'll figure out a way to make it go faster than that! There's always a way...... Ya gotta devise a way to make them hold water back too. Will be so interesting to watch!
Have you considered getting solar setup there? You can get 4-5kw of panels, 5kw battery, and 3kw inverter/charge controller for $4k or so from signature solar. That’s before any tax rebates. Maybe spend another $500 in materials setting it up. It’s not too hard to setup and that would allow you to run multiple window unit AC and power whatever else you want. Maybe something to consider in the future but I’m running supplemental AC at my house in downtown Austin off grid
'The energy in water dissipates when it crashes into itself, comes back in itself' if you watch water and see how the speed is taken out of itself, you will realise that if you put three rocks in a triangle shape in front of the gabion, then the water will hit that first, fold in on itself, dissipate a little. Then all the force of the water is not crashing into the gabion. This also shakes the dirt out of the water. The more you can put i front on the gabion, the slower the water will be when it hits. Try it with a little stream. Even small rocks work. If you are going to play with water, you need to learn this basic fact.
My dad did something similar with gullies and washes on his property but he used chicken wire to manage the rocks. He anchored two layers of chicken wire across a wash secured by metal stakes driven into the ground on either side, then piled rocks on the upstream side. After a few years water stood in these areas for weeks after a rain and sediment built up leveling out the wash.
The wire depends on water flow. Chicken wire is preferred because of the price. Higher flows need a lower gauge wire. Awesome to hear the results!
You can always bet that the tool you do not bother to take is the one you end up needing.
It's a fact of life. So, so true
"Only 2 lengths of rope. Too short or too long" - Haha
if this is done all over the desert areas a lot of green will return as the water is forced into the ground instead being a flash flood
dont just dump the stones into the gabions. Make rough dry stone walls inside the gabions, put the stones down in courses. Or they will sag and bend the steel, then break. take that bit more time to do it properly. dont waste time and effort. keep it up dude, but do it right.
That was my first gabion.
@dustupstexas its awesome seeing you learn and get improving your erosion control techniques.
Come on Tim. So you have a procedure for filling a Gabion? Why don’t you post it. Shaun there is also something called a Hesco barrier which is like a Gabion but they have a heavy fabric liner. Those might work better in some areas as they can be fitted with plain dirt. With regards to Gabions some are made with heavy gauge chicken type wire with doesn’t require such large rocks.
Lastly I would look for some army surplus stuff. Shade and water is most important. Military cots get you off the ground and should be cheap and reasonable comfortable. Camouflaged netting, paracord, stakes ect. are all online surplus and super cheap.
@@TomBTerrific its not my idea. I live in the mountains in Spain and there are many gabions made by the councils and on private land. The stones are laid in courses inside the frame of the gabion. 3mm chain link wire is used for the frame of the gabions. Come on Tom. Your proposal imports plastics and other unpleasant materials to clean land.
@@TomBTerrific I question your direct experience with gabions and land management.
Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia Spain where we currently live through a drought and we are creating swales. We take some courage from your project. Thank you for sharing
Anything you can do to rob velocity from the water. I would say that if you intend to build gabions, the details are critical and you should invest some time in learning proper construction. For starters, though, three things: tie them into the banks and make sure the center of the gabion is lower than the outer edges. These two details will help prevent flowing water from eroding the bank. The third thing is to provide an apron for water falling over the gabion to prevent the water from eroding the base and bringing the entire structure down.
Keep up the good work!
I get pretty excited when I see you’ve posted. Then I get comfortable and like during the intro. Thanks for showing us and taking us along with you on your adventure.
I appreciate that!
Find the collected videos from Geoff Lawton, who used a number of techniques in the Jordan desert to get water retaining done. It an amazing job they've done.
Swales, troughs or trenches built "on contour" are a great start. They slow water, and if you fill the swales with dead materials from the land, that material becomes a sort of sponge to absorb, release water as well as cooling the soils.
Going from .5 inches /year of rain to a food forest.
Acacia is a leguminous tree,meaning it adds nitrogen to the soil, see if you can propagate more for the most vital need, shade.
So in those small seasonal streams, keep putting rocks but also include straw under it or other natural materials able to slow the flow of water, absorve and sustain moisture and protect the solid underground from sunlight. You may also either plant something alongside or put some sort of shading to decrease the exposure. Is better to retain moisture in areas where moisture is already naturally presented than in the slopes or hills as there the water will evaporate. As plants start to grow they will spread through the slopes and creat a positive feedback loop. Make sure to protect the area from grazing animals. I would also recommend you to create a garden with artificial irrigation to see the behaviour of the soil and which plants appear by its own and which ones you can introduce.
Дружище, пасущихся животных нужно контролировать. Алан Савори вам в помощь.
As a software developer who bought some land and a tractor a few years ago I can give you one great piece of advice: Buy the equipment and store it on the land. Learn to use it. There is no way you will get anywhere hiring heavy equipment operators. The costs are too high and you need the feedback you get from being on the equipment. You need to become very comfortable with your bobcat, track hoe, etc. You need diesel stored out there and all the stuff to maintain your equipment. That is a million times cheaper and faster than the way you are trying to get this done. This project makes no financial sense (it actually destroys value instead of creating it) so you can't proceed by spending money and delegating.
I've started doing the work on my own? This comment feels a few months stale
Looks like here it is full of software developers. Mee too
@@dustupstexas I think he meant previous videos with hiring equipment. Volunteering and manual work is low cost, and especially fun.
This is so inspiring! Amazing project. Can't wait to see the results in 1-2 years.
So much fun to watch this transformation at the front end of this project! I'm glad I found you! I was involved in a similar project in the north fork of the burnt river in northeastern OR 30 yrs ago now. We built our rock dams with some t posts and wire fencing. Recycling old T posts. We used hay bales (both whole and scattered in the wash upsream of our dams) and prunings of bushes and brush to add detritus. Suggestions for your project... try to use as many rocks that are scattered nearby as you can. (All of the rocks in the wash help to slow the rainwater down and if you use them all for your dam it will ultimately allow the rushing water to speed up and smash your dam with more velocity.) Prune dead wood from any shrubs any time you want. Otherwise a light pruning at the right time of year can help you source more detritus. (Again source these live prunings from shrubs outside the riparian zone) lots of fun!!! I wish i could be there... I'm in the denver area though.😢
You should start a survival camp on the farm.... And don't forget to put some wild cameras up the gabions. If it rains you can watch if it works and how improvements are needed.
I wonder if introducing some of the native grasses that once covered the area would be possible. Maybe a good idea later on down the road once you have some coverage and water retention in the soil.
They'll come back on their own once water is in the ground. Bird and mammal dung carries the seeds
@@dustupstexas true. Love the work keep at it bro.
All I’m going to say is, we want more content! Thank you! ✌️😎
😁 I'm trying to make it happen!
I like the animation of where the team is at and moving around the land.
I liked the editor's use of the bobbleheads 😂
I’ve just discovered your channel Shaun and I’ve been really enjoying it. It feels like I’m there and I really like all the footage of you talking on camera and telling the story. It’s a great mix.
Of course I also really love what you are doing ecologically, not just in your area but how your videos will inspire others globally!
Keep up the good work.
Great video I am doing the same type of thing... lots of digging... going to dig lots of holes and line them with organic matter and charcoal so that they will eventually hold water and be able to become fertile so that I can plant in them... and then the roots will help hold water even more. Thanks for sharing can’t wait to se the outcome when the rains come... so cool man 👍🏼
Out in that heat you should get a half dozen of those old evaporative desert canteen water bags - i haven't seen those since I was a child in the early 1970s - they actually get the water pretty cold, ice cold when a fan is blown on one
Get a Home Depot prefab home or large storage, insulate it well surrounding it with dry bamboo to prevent direct sun light. Use bamboos to cover and make shade where rain may get collected. Very cheap and basic for now
Great restoration works.. its preserves nature in good shape for next generations. Thanks for what your doing may many more do it in west in particular California, Arizona, Texas, new Mexico etc.
Nice job but, I don't think that the steel welded wire fabric is gaining you much. Just use the rocks. Use the bigger rocks to build the basic stone wall and fill in both sides with small rocks. If you could find free chain link fence, it can work well as containment for small rocks. A Shelterlogic tent garage with a silver tarp over it will make a good cheap structure but be sure to anchor it down very well. Good Luck, Rick
Hello from Ireland 🇮🇪 love your content been following from the start such a cool project bravo 👏🏻
Hello Shawn, I’ve started following your blog on reforesting your section of the dessert. Very interesting and looking forward to what the days ahead will bring. You’ll eventually get there mate 👍🏻
Love the content and can’t wait to watch this place glow up over the years so keep posting.
As an environmental engineer (mostly in hydraulics and geotechnics) this project is extremely interesting. If I could recommend a couple things, not sure about the local ecology but wild grasses are extremely beneficial to transition dry hydrophobic soil into lush water trapping soil. This also sounds a little counter intuitive but wildfires are also extremely beneficial if you can do them in a controlled manner and not let them get too hot where they bake the subsurface.
Also if you create areas where you want to trap water for longer periods and seepage is too fast (not sure your soil conditions) but bentonite clay is extremely good as slowing seepage in order to have a little more control over the hydraulics
Grasses are essential. Once I get earthworks further along, they're the next ranching priority
I have heard that smaller low gabions work best. Once the area behind them has filled with debris, a second small gabion can be built on top and just behind the first. This can be repeated. The result is a gabion in a step formation, and it's very stable.
I built several 1000 man tent cities while in the military, looking forward to seeing what your up to.
@christopherburns9588 mentioned about scrap yards for shading materials and water catchment. I think he has a good idea, especially during your experimental phase. I'd definitely hit scrap yards anywhere from where you live to the Dustup for barrier building materials. I don't know if it's the same out west but here in PA you can usually get metal from a scrap yard at scrap prices. no sense buying brand new fencing material until its time to fully implement the final Dustup methods.
Ocotillos are my favorite: love the desert
Don't forget to forage a little bit and try to make soot fertilizer from that forage, feeding the plants will help them help to capture more water.
If you do it near where you think the most water could be captured will make it way more optimal
So much this. Fertilizer and the microbes needed to create better healthy soil are essential. It might be too dry, but it could be great to mycelium underneath the ground to help with nutrient transfer... seems like there's a lot of dirt out there but not so much soil
You can improve the soot with eggshells. Collect them at home - ask your neighbors and the volunteers to bring them in bags and when you make a campfire burn them. That woodash/eggshell mix is farmers gold.
Super cool to see you doing what needs to be done!
Good work from the volunteers!
The best!
I'm trying to do the same here in my desert
A used quad would go a long way out there. Keep up the good work.
I got a used one at auction, but it didn't run. It's going back to consignment until I get one that's operable
@@dustupstexaswhat was wrong with it? Could be a simple fix.
@@nedlyest Maybe, but I have 5,000 other things going on.
Im just here for the green
Reoccurring theme in land reclamation: slowing down the water. I see it in video's from Australia to Colorado. Leaky damns as they are called. Humans taking the place of Beavers.
A happy and healthy forest of ocotillos can sometimes indicate the presence of caverns underneath. Apparently they like the same sort of conditions that also come with cave formation.
Interesting. I've witnessed that over Carlsbad Caverns
DA .............maybe bats are around also ????
@@dustupstexas yes, that's how they discovered Kartchner Caverns here in Southern Arizona.
I like your aerial map graphics you've started using...helps to get an understanding of your area.
Primary it means they get enough water to grow and the soil has also enough nutrients for them. Maybe one of the most fertitle spots in the washes. You should plant fruit trees or bushes there between the ocotilos. Animal will eat them and let their poop as fertilizer.
You must be in West Texas. Would avoid gabions as they fail. Smaller and more frequent is better than larger, as tsmaller is less prone to failure and less work, expense, etc in the long run. Think you'll mote likely end up with a savanna, which supports more life than either a meadow or forest.
This counts as permaculture pron in my book. (Misspelling is deliberate, cut you know.) Looking forward to this regreening. Am subbing and hoping you'll post often on the progress. Also subbed to Brad Lancaster out of Tucson, who does rainwater harvesting/regreening projects too.
It is exciting to see that you are gaining momentum and learning what tools you are going to need on a daily basis. I am excited to see how the gabions perform and how quickly silt and rock and branches build up. Any scrap yard within a reasonable distance, to get something to build a rain catchment system and provide a large shady area for tents? Can’t wait for your next video👍
Someone suggested commercial garage doors. I'm thinking that one through
@@dustupstexas Used solar panels can sometimes be bought for cheaper per square foot than plywood. They don't produce 100% of the rated wattage, but some come close. Excess power could be used to power air-water extraction.
You really should invest in a UTV or a couple of 4 wheelers. It work wonders on my land
Side dump bucket on a skid steer would help fill up those gabions. You could always make some sort of fork liftable 'sleeve' out of 1/4" plate steel to put inside the gabion basket to take the initial dump buckling off those weak wire walls, then remove the sleeve with the forks. Another option would be to just get a used dump bed , skid steer scoup and mix mortar mixer to mix up some mortar, dump it on the rocks, then scoup up the slurry of large rock aggregate and mortar and side dump it into some heavy duty forms to cure for a day or so, then turn the forms. Something like super block 2'x2'x4' forms.
Bravo, good simple work! Rudi.
Well done. Huge undertaking.
You should get Springbar tents to sponsor you .
The only problem I have is that I'm binging these videos too quickly!
Every home and business should install a rain water collection and storage system along with solar panels.
Even in areas where rain is infrequent it is crazy to waste the little rain that does fall and waste it.
We need to stop planting green lawns and switch to local native plantings around homes.
It is crazy to plant lawns and build golf courses in dry desert areas. We waste too much water and electricity.
Ive been thinking of doing this on the Franklin Mountains in El Paso. So much potential there and the climate is pretty much identical to yours. Saw a video about doing this on a large scale in Mexico and Arizona over 10 years ago and the results were amazing. I feel parts of the western face of the Franklin Mountain could be turned into similar sky islands as the Organ Mountains sky islands near Las Cruces, NM.
Hey friend nice to meet you. I'm on the same page as you we need to Green up this RGV desert. The rainfall this past summer was pitiful. Getting green up on these mountains will increase rainfall for the future generations and charge our depleting groundwater.
Power via a generator and a gas supply, coupled with Star Link for internet and communications would be my first priority, followed by permanent shelter. At least then, you're able to communicate with the outside world in an emergency. Anything can happen, one fall and a broken bone can put you into serious trouble. Minimum, a satellite phone would be a good idea, since you can easily get one and recharge it using your vehicle.
Look into a brush cutter. It's like a weedeater with a blade in the end. They are amazing and save so much time clearing brush
Very inspirational.
I know this will sound funny but get a handful of native seeds and throw them in the gabion it will work did this at ft. Hood
I'll pick some along the way and toss them in
Still watching I'm hooked Sean
Really enjoying this project. I own land somewhere just west of yours I bought 25 years ago. Thinking I might go hunting there sometime also if Texas were to secede I would have a foot in the door. Life gets in the way and I've never seen it but your videos show me what it's like. If I were able I would be there helping. Praise God be safe and conquer that desert.
What section are you in?
@@dustupstexas had to look up the paperwork, section 22 if that sounds right. It is somewhere north of Fabens.
I love the gabion idea.. I think you’ve got something going with this. I absolutely love this project! I’m a charter pilot but I only occasionally get to this part of the country. If I had your coordinates, I’d plug it into my ForeFlight software and keep an eye out if I’m in the area…. It would be from 40k +/- feet but fun nonetheless.
Great work. Love the video and the overhead animation. Perfect for getting a sense of what you got going on.
Take some heavy pliers and bend those wire ends over before someone gets hurt.
They're needed to put the top panels on and for the cages' integrity
Or plastic caps. It can be lethal.
You guys are having too much fun. I wish I could be there.
On the edge of the property, last dam would be nice to reinforce it with plastic tarp to hold the water, not just to slow it down.
Love seeing more projects like this.
You need a Comms volunteer. A few affordable vhf/uhf radios, antennas solar panels and batteries. It will help you communicate and find people much faster.
Hopefully next year Texas won’t be in the same drought we experienced this year. Some rain would be nice to show how well your efforts will work. Seems like a good plan right now though! Once you get water and can start planting things I would highly suggest some Texas Oaks. Oak trees roots are able to add nitrogen into the soil, nitrogen that many plants need in order to grow. Not sure how they would do in west Texas but they do wonderful in the Texas hill country, not to mention they tolerate drought rather well. Hill country is on an Escapement and most of our “dirt” is rock and caliche. We dug a trench across our property and under the oaks is beautiful rich brown soil, everywhere else is dry white caliche. Texas oaks would be the way to go if they can tolerate West Texas climate conditions.
There are many native oaks, but they need higher rainfall. They almost always grow at higher elevations. Scientists this year discovered a Texas oak near Big Bend that was previously believed extinct.
I think the climate simply doesn't support oak out there. Otherwise, they would be there already. You might be able to find a plant that can survive in the desert and provide that function, a pioneer/keystone species, like the oak. I liked cholla, but it's pretty hazardous.
Mesquite trees have thorns.
They have straight thorns. They don't have barbs
“To the dry and barren desert have the Brothers brought the Angel of water that she might bring forth a garden and a green place”. The Essene Gospel of Peace, pg 161. 🙏🏻
You might want to contact my little homestead . They had a company come out and scan the ground, and tell them where the water was. It wasn't too pricey either . You might also look into a trencher. You push it. I don't think you should give up on your L damh . Cattle panels and larger rocks . I hope this helps you.
Ocatillo typically grow above ground water.
Carry on Good Samaritans gif bless yu.❤
If you haven’t already it would be good to talk with Mr. John Wells of The Field Lab Project. I am sure he can share some good advice. He has been in that region of Texas for several years. I believe he is in Terlingua.
I love your work
Wish I could come there and help you all
7:30 You definitely need to hydrate yourselves. Keep in mind you are breathing thinner air, so you are breathing in and out more air... With moisture leaving faster. I think hydration bladders might not be a bad idea.
They're essential. They went on my volunteer packing list after this trip
@@dustupstexas Exactly. You have to learn from each lesson, adapt and move forward. Hopefully no one gets heat exhaustion. I look forward to part 2 of your sand bag shelter build.
Thanks for the tree bit of information today.
You need some tarahumara Indians from chihuahua. Fantastic workers for building trincheras and making roads by hand.
What they can do is amazing. After working with them on my ranch, I now believe nothing is impossible if you want it and have the men.
Where is your ranch?
It’s in southeast chihuahua about 3 1/2 hours from presidio texas
Really interesting perma scape posting from India just was uploaded. American perma scape channel.
I think you should invite more people
It's an open invite
yep
Excellent video. You will be next Andrew Millison
I saw a guy in Australia use Rolls of discarded carpet to make dams. They absorb water and grass can grow in them. You should consider buying grass seed from Native American Seed Company and sprinkle them in the gabons.
The carpet is super interesting
@@dustupstexasrecycled paper is just as cheap and more compostable.
a lot of carpet is super toxic, but otherwise that sounds quite functional
Works with old rags and cloth too. Putting old paper or cardboard in them does the trick too.
walkie talkies are useful, I'm glad to see you'll be making my tent idea finally, wasn't sure you would. Good luck
2 uploads in one week, why Mr Overton you spoil us.😂
I'm trying to pick up the pace.
Great video love seeing the progress you’re making. Makes me eager to reach my goal of buying a small plot of land and doing the same. Thank you!
This is so exciting, I love seeing that there is a new video available. It's fantastic to see so many people willing to help out! I know you have so much plans/things to do Shaun, but it would indeed be amazing to see some wildlife camera set up on the gabions to see them in action.
Thank you to the volunteers as well! Wish I could join you.
If you can find this old episode of ABC Landline in Australia about a couple who restored a station I think you will learn a bunch.
because you mentioned your chainsaw was out of gas, how about going solar out there? there are, mostly from youtubers, solar panel system where you can collect energy and then re-load your electric chainsaw. and the electric chainsaw is good as one with gas. just an input from my side.
all in all a very nice project
Its a good idea for sure
Anything of any value will get stolen by the wets no doubt.
This approach is going to be a thousand times more effective in every sense of the word as digging a big amount of shallow holes all over the place. 👍 I would call it the beaver water management approach. 🦫You get all the desired effects in local areas of the land with a single structure. And with enough of those structures working in conjunction you can cover a large piece of land.
It's a process to build on experience and see the impact
loving the frequent uploads shaun! keep it up. very fun to follow the journey so close
Your reference to a "ghetto beaver dam" made me wonder if you have a copy of Bill Zeedyk's "Let the Water Do the Work".
Éxito en tu proyecto😊
У нас водятся бобры, это Западная Сибирь. Я видел их плотины, это хворост вперемешку с грязью и камнями. А ещё они делают плотины, что бы по воде траспортировать ветки осины и ивы к хатке. Это болотистый ручей перегорожен плотинами каждые 15-25 метров. Удивительные животные.
I hope to see some big, wide desert style swales at some point to catch and hold that rain when it comes. There's nothing prettier or more useful for hydrating a desert landscape than swales on contour. 3' to 4' to 6' wide and a foot or two deep, (depending on slope) to begin that underground water seeping magic. You need overflows to large ponds too to hold ALL the water possible. You can then throw compost on the swales, plant 'em with grazing grasses (not in that order... :) and have long meandering, linear grazing paddocks for cattle, sheep, goats or whatever (Gourmet Mangalitsa pigs that graze and don't root and tear up the ground...?!) (Bison! Heh) while the rest of the areas outside the swales are slowly hydrating and starting to sprout grasses of their own too.
Not to mention the huge benefit that you then will have from LEVEL pathways going EVERYWHERE for walking, transport of tools and materials with say a quad and its little trailer. Also, some people dig sections of them real deep (deep as possible) and then have narrow, linear little ponds on contour to swim your laps in... :) Or grow ducks, geese, fish and water plants in, not to mention further, deep, extensive hydration action bringing up the water table. It's very exciting what you are doing! Can you do it like, tomorrow please? Heh.
I only have about 40 acres that are suitable for swales. Terraces will dominate for the most part.
@@dustupstexas Oooh, terraces are a lotta work but so beautiful. 40 acres is still a lot though! Most terraced areas have been developed over centuries. But I'm sure you'll figure out a way to make it go faster than that! There's always a way...... Ya gotta devise a way to make them hold water back too. Will be so interesting to watch!
Mesquite trees have thorns buddy
They have straight thorns. The thorns in the video clearly show backward barbing thorns (ie, not mesquite)
So exciting! ❤❤another post.
Keep going man, loving this
Keep up the good work, the desert will turn green soon. Mike
How do you get so many volunteers?
I don't know. I never expected to have volunteers when I started the channel. It just sort of happened
Do your volunteers know if the Ocotillo will bloom, and if so, when?
June
Really enjoy seeing the progress. You could fly a flag at your work sites so everyone would where to find you. Or maybe a balloon.
The tree that you said it's iron wood or Palo fierro
Its catclaw. The thorns are unmistakeable
Have you considered getting solar setup there? You can get 4-5kw of panels, 5kw battery, and 3kw inverter/charge controller for $4k or so from signature solar. That’s before any tax rebates. Maybe spend another $500 in materials setting it up. It’s not too hard to setup and that would allow you to run multiple window unit AC and power whatever else you want.
Maybe something to consider in the future but I’m running supplemental AC at my house in downtown Austin off grid
Of course. It's just not important right now. I'm camping. Electrical usage is almost exclusively for cameras
I submitted a volunteer form, hopefully theres enough room for me to go.
For sure!
at the beginning of videos you should explain what you're planting in order to make a "forest"
I'm also patiently waiting or you to show us some arrowheads. :)