The best places to store water is in our garden or on our farms in the soil. 

But how do we make sure it gets in there?

Barren soil impedes water infiltration into the sub-soil layers. Soil left bare forms an impervious layer so water runs off rather than soaking in.

The resulting runoff causes erosion, washing valuable top soil into dams, creeks, and rivers.

Ground cover, layers mulch or living plants, increases infiltration of water into the soil. This reduces erosion by decreasing the amount of run off.

In most instances, native grasses do not need to be sown as they either already exist in a pasture or the seed bank is there.

They are perennial, providing feed for livestock. The grass has a deep root systems which gives them the capacity to reach deeper water.

Additionally, native grasses do not require fertilisation, cheap to maintain and requiring little inputs.

Evaporation is also reduced by creating a humid environment on the soil surface.

Whether that is a layer of living plants or mulch, that humid barrier reduces the flux of water from the soil into the dry atmosphere.

As much as we all like to see our dams full, consider the following, do you want the rain that falls on your place (and the top soil it takes with it) in a dam, unavailable for plant growth and exposed to evaporation? Or, deep in the soil?