Base Map and Water Analysis

Charles Gould

Sectors • Sunlight – The sunlight on our property is great as is free

to shine on most all of the property throughout the day as stated in the book on pg55 the sun moves from southeast to southwest in the winter and northeast to northwest in the summer. The way the property is set the sun goes directly over the top of my garden and cow pasture which is great although since there is not many trees near my cow pasture or garden that sun all day long can be damaging to crops on hot days as well as hard for the livestock to keep cool. So to help against the heat I have a moveable chicken coop. as well as having my bees positioned under a big apple tree the bees help the tree and the tree keeps the bees a little cooler.

• The scale for both maps are 1”=20’

Sectors • Wildlife – some of the wildlife in the area can be troublesome for example

weasels have gotten some of my free range chickens so we have had to start putting the chickens inside the coop at night so they could be safer. We have also had a major problem with black bears in the area coming and attacking and eating our bee hives so I have had to move the bees from beside my garden closer to my house and put an electric fence around them for added protection as the bears love to come into the natural black berry and raspberry patches on the back edge on the property.

Sectors • Noise and Pollution – As for noise we only have one neighbor a crossed the road

they also have a small homestead and we help each other out so we don’t have much for noise other than traffic. As for pollution we live on a very heavy traveled and people like to throw garbage out and log trucks go though a lot leaking fuel and oils as well as salt from the road. The way that I have helped is an idea from the book (pg55 The Permaculture Handbook Peter Bane) we put a 7 foot tall berm between the roadway and our pasture and gardens (berm and road not visible on my map couldn’t fit the entire property)

Permaculture Principles • Catch and store energy – (Pg30 The Permaculture Handbook) A couple of ways that I catch and

store energy on my homestead is for 1 by catching power of the sun with solar powered fence chargers. Also by catching water in 2 hand dug wells that are on the property placed where the water naturally runs and can be caught. I have also placed my garden in a place where the water naturally runs so when we get rain the entire garden is watered well.

• Use and Value Natures Gifts – (Pg33 The Permaculture Handbook) some of the ways that we use natures gifts are by using bees to help pollinate our crops, we use the natural berry bushes every year to make jams and jellies as well as fruit to eat. We also use our cows to help fertilize our garden bed with manure. And by letting my chickens be free range during the day they help keep the bug population to a minimum as well as fertilizing everywhere they go.

Water Analysis • The annual precipitation for Hartland,

Maine is around 42.87 inches per year this is spread out fairly even throughout the year the highest amount is in fall with around 12 inches. Source ( https://rainfall.weatherdb.com/ ) the closest watershed is the Sebasticook River. The soil is very rocky source (https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx )

• Water enters my site mainly from rainfall and a little from runoff from the south side of the property as the elevation is a little higher.

Water Analysis • Water exits my site by flowing from the south and south west to the

north east and somewhat north west directions into the ditch in front of my home and at the top of my driveway then down the edge of the drive and into a hand dug well as well as down to the northeast towards my garden and second dug well once passed my garden it drains into a field once at the bottom of the hill it ends up in a small brook which then goes into a marsh. • The only flooding areas are right at the top of the driveway by my

drilled well along the south western edge of the property and between the barn and driveway at a very small spot

Water Analysis• There is one main place that pollution can come which are along the

front north west side of the property between the driveway and the south west property line which is the only place that the road runs along without a berm • Some other things I would like to add is that in times of low rainfall

and drought I can get water from an old farm pond out in the far back of the property into the woods as well as down the road next to my leased hay field there is a brook that runs from a spring a mile or so into the woods the owner has a pump system set up and I have access to that.

Water Analysis The high points are to the north west in front of my house as well as to the south east of my barn.

The lowest point of the property is to the far northeast property line as well as the north west side of the barn between the barn and my berm separating the roadway from my property also where the water pools and collects into a dug well.