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Keyline design is a technique for maximizing beneficial use of water resources of a piece of land, and the Keyline refers to a specific topographic feature linked to water flow. Beyond that however, Keyline can be seen as a collection of design principles, techniques and systems for development of rural and urban landscapes.
The first book on Keyline book was published in 1954. In it, P. A. Yeomans exploded the myth that it takes 1,000 years to produce an inch of topsoil. Yeomans pioneered, among other things, the use of on farm irrigation dams in Australia, as well as chisel plows and subsoil aerating rippers. Yeomans perfected a system of amplified contour ripping that controlled rainfall run off and enabled the fast flood irrigation of undulating land without the need for terracing.Although Keyline was initially developed for rural property planning and is superb Landcare it also provides a basis for more sustainable suburban planning and larger subdivisions. Keyline Designs features large earth walled irrigation dams that are all equipped with through-the-wall Lockpipe systems to gravity feed irrigation, stock water and yard water. Across the landscape the dams may be interlinked by channels. These graded earth channels broaden the catchment areas of high dams, conserve the height of water and transfer rainfall run-off into the most efficient high dam sites. The road systems of Keyline follow both ridge lines and the graded contour water channels. Contour roads and paths, being almost flat, provide easy low energy movement across even very undulating land.
Avenues of trees are left or planted parallel to the roads and channels, as well as in tiered contoured forests. Better building sites become revealed and then fences and gateways can be positioned more strategically. Within this harmonious design, soil regeneration can occur by deepening the bio-fertility of the topsoil and converting subsoil into living topsoil. This is achieved partially by soil aeration, which increases water absorption, also by an amplified contour cultivation pattern, which prevents soil wash and by using an enhanced cell grazing design for "rational" grazing. Incidental results are the healing of soil erosion and salinity and better stock health.
In a rural setting Keyline is far more than a unique combination of water conservation and farming with nature. Keyline completely supersedes the widely imposed but misconceived concept of Soil Conservation. One of the typical benefits of Keyline is the rapid development of living soil.
When Keyline Design is applied to urban design the contour roads will assist low energy transport. Water storage within the suburban area will be both picturesque and provide a readily available supply of "yard" water for irrigation of suburban gardens and park. It was back in the 1970s that the originator of Keyline, the late P. A. Yeomans proposed the use of Keyline methods to create City Forests for sewage effluent utilisation.
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Keyline design was developed in Australia by farmer and engineer P. A. Yeomans, and described and explained in his books The Keyline Plan, The Challenge of Landscape, Water For Every Farm and The City Forest.
The Keyline Scale of Permanence considers first the climate then the topography of the site, identifying several features namely ridges and valleys and the natural water courses seeking optimum water storage sites and potential interconnecting channels. The new water lines discovered for the area provide a natural grid into which the location of roads, trees, buildings and fences can be logically selected to optimise the natural potential of the landscape.
In a smooth grassy valley, a location called the Keypoint can be found where the lower and flatter portion of a primary valley floor suddenly steepens. The – Keyline – of this primary valley is revealed by pegging a contour line through the keypoint, within the valley shape. All the points on the line are at the same elevation as the keypoint. Contour plowing parallel to the Keyline, both above and below will automatically become "off-contour" but the developing pattern will tend to drift rainwater runoff away from the valley centre and incidentally, prevent erosion. Keyline pattern cultivation on ridge shapes is done parallel to any suitable contour but only working on the upper side of the contour guild line. This automatically develops a pattern of off-contour cultivaton in which all the rip marks left in the soil will slope down towards the centre of the ridge shape. This pattern of cultivation allows more time for water to soak in. Keyline pattern cultivation also enables controlled flood irrigation of undulating land, which further assists in the fast development of deep biologically fertile soil, which results in improving soil nutrition and health. In many countries including Australia, it is important to get optimum absorption of rainfall and Keyline cultivation does this as well as delaying the potentially damaging concentration of runoff. The Yeomans technique differs from traditional contour plowing in several important respects. Random contour plowing also becomes off contour but usually with the opposite effect on runoff water causing it to quickly shed off ridge shapes and be concentrated in valleys. The limitations of the traditional system of soil conservation, with its "safe disposal" approach to farm water was an important motivational factor in the development of the Keyline system.
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Applications
David Holmgren, one of the founders of Permaculture, used Yeoman's Keyline principle extensively in the formulation of Permaculture concepts and the design of sustainable human settlements and organic farms.
A topographical example can be seen on (37°09′33″S 144°15′08″E / 37.159154°S 144.252248°E[2]).
Keyline also includes concepts for rapid soil fertility enhancement and these concepts are explored in Priority One by P. A. Yeomans' son Allan. Yeomans and his sons were also instrumental in the design and production of special plows and cultivating equipment for use in conjunction with the keyline methodology. yeomans plow
See also
- Conservation biology
- Conservation ethic
- Conservation movement
- Ecology
- Environmentalism
- Environmental protection
- Habitat conservation
- Natural environment
- Natural capital
- Natural resource
- Renewable resource
- Sustainable agriculture
- Sustainability
- Water conservation
- Soil salination
References
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Notations
- Yeomans, P. A., The Keyline Plan (1954) Free online version
- Yeomans, P. A., The Challenge of Landscape : the development and practice of keyline, Keyline Pub. Pty., Sydney, (1958). Free online version
- Yeomans, P. A., Water for Every Farm: A practical irrigation plan for every Australian property, K.G. Murray Publishing Company, Pty, Ltd, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia (1973) ISBN 0-646-12954-6/ISBN 0-909325-29-4.
- Yeomans, P.A., The City Forest (1971) Keyline Publishing Pty Ltd., ISBN 0959957804. Free online version
- Yeomans, P.A. & K.B., Water for Every Farm - Yeomans Keyline Plan (1993, 2002,3,7) Keyline Designs. ISBN 9781-0-646-41875-9
- Yeomans, P.A. & K.B., Water for Every Farm - Yeomans Keyline Plan (2008) Keyline Designs. ISBN 978-14388225784.
Available from: Keyline Designs or Amazon
- Yeomans, A., Priority One: Together we Can Beat Global Warming, Keyline Publishing Co. (2005) ISBN 0-646-43805-0 online version
- MacDonald-Holmes, J., University of Sydney, Geographical and Topographical Basis of Keyline
- Spencer, L, Keyline and Fertile Futures (2006) Online Version
Footnotes
External links
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