Thanks guys for getting back to me and your comments. As you may have noticed I too had abandoned these forums. I had really simply given NSF the flick due to mainly attitudes that were evident by Forum Administrators and hence have not been here for quite a while. I have not had any real desire to return to NSF due to the above, however if help that is useful is available and if the Administrators of the forums have decided to be more open, happy to discuss cross farming ideas as a mix of principles to get best results and they have come around to the idea that the forums are for help and advice then I will be happy to return to NSF and help out and of course ask for help. If not, and I guess if this post gets deleted due to my comments then I will stay away.
Anyway back to my questions that I initially posted and an update as requested.
I have not done anything as yet to the property due to being busy with so much else, also I have not had the equipment to do anything due to lack of funds. I know have a tractor (old Int 684) with FEL which will help out for me to do what I want. I sort of know what I want to do initially but more help is always great.
My plan at this stage is to look at the creek running through and fill in the large crevices that have been created by the running water and at the same time widen an area where the water can flow into so it becomes a series of larger pools along the path of the creek to the large dam at the end. Where the dam is now you can see the two pipes, odd place to put those by the previous owner so I am getting two more pipes and will place them at the top with a concrete cover for protection and to act as a floodway if the dam overflows of which it did that in March this year. I will then seal the existing two pipes, this is so the dam can rise and of course be at a higher level. This added water I am planning to use to pull up to the top of the property and to disperse with a sort of drop feed system from the top of the property.
I have not done any culverts yet as I was not really sure where was the best place to start, plus we have horses and do not want to make them too big as to cause possible injury to the horses, I may choose to do four of five quite small ones to catch and then leech water down to each paddock.
I have planted 20 new deciduous trees on the property along the top and sides, this is for both shade for animals and also for NSF reasons. I have also planted 8 Willows near the dam which have already flourished, though I think I might have to move them nest year when they lose their leaves as I have them too close together and to close to the water with the dam level expected to rise due to the new pipe system I will put in.... will see how this goes.
So where do I want to get too, well I want as said to
1. widen and create a series of larger pools for the creek,
2. raise the dam level,
3. move water from the dam to the top paddock and
4. build in a series of culverts to catch any water etc as it moves down from the top paddock to the bottom one.
5. We also have dry dam in back paddock which I am going to dig out, plug and use better for water for the back paddock.
Of course if you with your knowledge think this is the wrong way to go then please let me know.
The idea is the top paddock will remain for main usage being horses/sheep, the second will be used for both a small evergreen pasture crop and sheep use and the back paddock will be used for a small oats/hay crop. Note it is only 43 acres and my 'cropping' is mainly just to grow feed for our horses and sheep basically, that is pretty much it. If I had the money I'd buy another 43 acres next to ours off the neighbour to add size to our land, but that is not going to happen unless I win lotto
Cheers guys
Greg