Author:

Nicole Feledy

Co-Authors:

Paige Gilliam, Courtney Abbott, Matt Starble, Leni Adams

Institution:

Bucknell University

Abstract

The Bucknell Farm is planning on planting an orchard to cultivate various fruit trees. The proposed location of the fruit trees is on a slope. To prevent runoff of rainwater downslope, the Bucknell Farm would like to implement a form of passive irrigation. Passive irrigation uses water from the environment in contrast to active irrigation which takes water from a municipal source. The Bucknell Farm has already constructed two bioswales, which is a passive method of irrigation that slows down rainwater and allows it to seep into the soil instead of running off. Bioswales consist of a swale and berm. A swale is a long shallow trench from which the soil is removed and piled on the downhill side to create the berm. The trees will be planted in the berm to hold the soil in place and utilize the rainwater that gets absorbed. Professor Deborah Sill’s Sustainable Design Course has been working with the farm to measure soil moisture adjacent to the bioswale and in other parts of the farm to evaluate the effectiveness of bioswales in improving soil moisture.