Sunday 22 December 2013

Bale that Water

Hay bales deployed in the roadside ditch on the Lachlan Way, central New South Wales. They are pegged in place with wooden stakes so during heavy rain the force of the stormwater is slowed without budging the bales. The idea is that the bales act as a silt filter, and it is probably a measure to ensure the road isn't undercut by erosion. In really heavy rain though, the water will simply go around, and the erosion is worse. These don't appear to have been installed according to the guidelines produced by the relevant local authority, Cowra Regional Council. My guess is that these have been illegally installed by the adjacent farmer, or intended as very temporary measures in an emergency that has passed and the hay bales forgotten. Hay bales for stormwater management are not considered best practice these days, as they are almost never set up properly, but of course, they are cheap and readily available.

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Au marché hier: Grey oyster mushrooms; a jar each of buckwheat (€6) and summer flower (€4.80) honey; a wedge each of Brie de Melun (€20.95/kg) and Roquefort (€29.95/kg) cheese; fresh potato gnocchi and a pannetone (€8.45); 200 g spinach (60c), a cauliflower (€2.50) and a celeriac (€2.49); a new Persian style carpet for the back of Célestine.

4 comments:

Tim said...

Well, at least you thought of buying Célestine a Christmas present...
are you going to visit her on Christmas Day though?

Susan said...

Tim: we visited on my birthday, and we'll go again after new year.

Sheila said...

I suspect taking steps to deal with runoff is rather wishful
thinking just as it would be
here in Texas. More into the
capture mode here.

We pay $5.00 for celeriac no
matter the weight. Just glad to
find it when they make an
appearance.

Helen Devries said...

I'll show Danilo those bales and perhaps we can work out a way to use them to reduce the problems on the top road in the next rainy season.

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