Soil Building, Water Conservation, Grazing Land Enhancement and Habitat Creation Within a Keyline Flood-Flow Irrigated Agro-Forestry Landscape

The Keyline irrigation and soil building system originated in Australia in the 1950s. Keyline is a comprehensive land design and development system that combines large, on-farm dams and rapid, gravity powered flood irrigation. Irrigation and subsoiling in conjunction with planned grazing of livestock yields rapid conversion of subsoil to topsoil, yielding attendant production and environmental benefits. Due to local conservation concerns the owner of the Yandow Farm convened a planning team of farmers, environmentalists, political representatives, and state and federal personnel to assist in planning the design of a Keyline Flood-Flow irrigated landscape on the farm. The purpose of this project is to construct and begin operation of a Keyline flood-flow irrigated agro-forestry landscape system, quantitatively measure the results of landscape implementation, and disseminate the resulting information and lessons into the larger agricultural and environmental conservation communities.