A Gully Dam or a hillside Dam

A gully dam or a hillside dam:
 

Gully dams and hillside dams are the two main types of dams used for of-stream farm water storage, They are both deployed on sloping land and which one is chosen is dictated by the shape of possible sites.

Where there is a choice of sites, the final decision may depend on:

• relative expense of construction
• the required range of water uses
• aesthetics

This Agriculture Note should be read in combination with:
Gully dams take advantage of those natural valleys or depressions suitable for water storage. In some cases, it may be possible to utilize an erosion gully.
If the gully or depression is a waterway (as defined under the Water Act 1989) a licence is needed from your local rural water authority both to construct a dam and to diver water.
Where the gully is not a waterway, the banks of the proposed dam are built from soil material dug from an excavation contained within the storage area (see Figure 1). Gully dams are commonly used for storages ranging from 1 to 50 megalitres. They normally offer a low capital cost per unit of the stored water capacity.

Siting A narrow valley with a flat area widening out upstream from the bank site is ideal. If the floor slope is less than 1:20 (ie ˜3°), a relatively low bank will store water over the natural surface for a considerable distance upstream. This offers a cost advantage of a high storage to excavation ratio as mentioned in Agriculture Water yield from the catchment, and the proposed types of water use, usually govern size decisions. Because gully dams are more economic, water uses can be more easily extended to things like irrigation, fish farming and wildlife conservation.All gully dams have a significant risk of failure be it due to insufficient water, excess water, spillway erosion, bank over topping, bank failure or excessive seepage. The demands for quality design and construction increase as banks increase in height. If banks are proposed to be higher than three meters, expert advice is essential. In all cases considerable attention must be paid to compaction of the bank and consequently, the moisture content of the material when being packed into the bank.Gully dams will generally have larger water flows moving into the storage than hillside dams. This is good for replenishment of dam water but it also demands careful design and construction of the spillway (and freeboard) to safely cope with flood flows.
Hillside dams are usually selected because no suitable gully site is available. They are widely used in Victoria to ensure an accessible (non reticulated) stock water supply.
"U" shaped banks are constructed from soil materials dug from an excavation contained within the U.

Ideally the excavation will be fully contained within the water storage area of the dam. It is likely that naturally directed catchment flows will be inadequate to reliably provide water to the dam and graded banks will be necessary to intercept flows and direct them into the dam.
Before making a final decision on a hillside dam it is worthwhile considering reticulation from a smaller number of larger dams strategically located on the property. This is discussed in Agriculture Note AG1400: Drought reserve dams.Siting
The storage to excavation ratio of hillside dams can be quite low (1.5 is common) and any way of increasing the value is desirable. Seek a site that is as flat as possible, having regard to soil suitability and catchment yield. With small storages of less than 1 megalitre, which are commonly used for stock water, storage to excavation ratios of less than 1.0 are likely if site slopes are steeper than 1:10 (ie ˜6°).
The capacity of hillside dams is usually confined to the range: 0.5 megalitres to 10 megalitres. This is because of the economics of their low storage to excavation ratio, and the consequent limitations on types of water use.
Although hillside dams are less prone to failure than gully dams, they still require sound design and construction to be successful.
Further information
Widely varying circumstances apply on different properties and thus the information contained in this note should be used for general guidance only. It is advisable to seek expert assistance with detailed planning when a decision to construct is made.
Your local water authority (ie either Gippsland and Southern Rural Water, Goulburn-Murray Rural Water, Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water or Melbourne Water) is able to supply additional information.
The following 2007 publication is available from DEPI Your dam:your responsibility. A guide to managing the safety of farm dams.
Acknowledgements:

This Note was originally developed as Land care Note LC0091 by David Cummings. June 1999. It was reviewed and re-assigned to AG1404 by Farm Services Victoria, Sustainable Landscapes branch.

Perfect Truths about Yoga

Perfect Truths about Yoga

Turbaned gurus, sing-song mantras and bodily contortions . . . the promise of true enlightenment and overemphasis (contemplation of the naval) completes the cliche. But don't knock yoga till you've tried it, and then only with respect.

Yoga means to bind together -- variously joining sun and moon, left and right, male and female, and any number of yins and yangs -- through ascetic techniques of meditation and exercise. The goal is physical and mental balance.

Indian Hatha' yoga is best known to Westerners. Double-jointedness isn't a prerequisite, but the classic lotus position, cross-legged on the floor, soles-up on the inner thigh, either comes naturally or doesn't.

Then there are more magical/mystical varieties of yoga for which people quit jobs and polite society and retreat to the Himalayas. But not everyone follows a spiritual guide beyond the Beltway; they'd rather take up the discipline at a local ashram or the Y.

Committed practitioners claim yoga leads to intuitive awareness, spiritual harmony, perfect concentration. Others use it to lose weight or quit smoking. Some just like the lift they get from yoga asanas (positions) better than breaking into a sweat with pushups. In any case, it can't hurt, if done in moderation and with proper guidance.

3 Ways You May Be Throwing Money Away Without Realizing It

You aren't a dimwit. You're just stressed.

According to a recent study published in Science magazine, if you're poor and mismanage your money, you may be very capable of making good financial decisions. But you're trapped in a vicious circle: The inevitable problems that come with being poor are likely affecting your judgment, which means you're making bad decisions, which end up making you even more poor.

With that in mind, if you're financially struggling - or know someone who is - here are three ways people end up throwing money away when making common financial decisions: buying a house, buying a car and investing in a retirement plan. They're all generally good ideas, of course, but just because you're doing something smart doesn't mean you're doing it right.

Stretching to take out a mortgage. Few personal finance experts will say it's stupid to buy a house - but they will tell you that you can buy one too early in life, before you're financially ready. Many people also buy too big of a house.

"I can't tell you how many people I've seen get swept up in the romantic notion that they need to own a home or that they need to own a more expensive home, only to later regret it when they end up with a beautiful place but no money," says Scott Halliwell, a certified financial planner with USAA, a national financial services company based in San Antonio that mostly serves military members and their families.

[Read: 5 Financial Decisions That Sound Smart But Are Really Dumb.]

Halliwell says too many people try to buy a house before they've learned to budget. These red flags, he says, should alert you that you aren't financially ready: if you don't yet have an emergency fund, you can't save up for a sizable down payment (20 percent is standard) or you're trying to find another way to buy a house, such as taking on a high interest rate in place of having that down payment.

He has a point, especially considering that a house comes not only with a monthly mortgage that you'll likely be paying for the next 30 years - but also homeowners insurance, yard maintenance, appliances and furniture to buy and the inevitable home repairs. Most lenders say your house payment shouldn't be more than 30 percent of your income, so if you're searching for a way to buy a house that is going to be, say, 40 or 50 percent of your income, you might want to do some serious reconsidering.

Halliwell adds: "We always talk about how much money someone can save if they just stop drinking fancy coffee. The truth is, coffee doesn't do anywhere near the damage this move can."

Buying a too-expensive car. If you're not paying attention, the car you're buying may not seem all that expensive. The auto finance manager may suggest that instead of three years, you pay for six, and that $531 monthly payment for an $18,000 car decreases to $282, obscuring the fact that you'll end up paying far more in the long run, especially if you aren't getting a good interest rate.

For instance, if your car's interest rate is around 4 percent, which is average these days, paying the loan over six years instead of three means you'll pay $1,145 more just in interest. That might be worth it for the lower payments. But let's say you have bad credit and you're paying a high interest rate. Buying an $18,000 car at 18 percent (a typical interest rate if your credit score is, say, 550 and you're buying a used car) and paying it over three years means you'll shell out approximately $5,000 just in interest. Spreading the loan over six years means your interest alone will climb to $11,000. Your $18,000 car is actually a $29,000 car.

[Read: 6 Money-Saving Strategies That May Cost You In the Long Run.]

Of course, it can be easy to rush into buying a car, especially if your current vehicle is on life support. But not only should you make use of the many monthly loan payment calculators for car-buying on the Web, remember to research how a new or new-to-you car will affect your insurance and your auto's gas mileage.

"We're certainly a nation in love with automobiles, and I'm right there with the crowd," Halliwell says. "Even so, I'm forever amazed at the number of $40,000 to $50,000 cars and trucks I see on the road every day. The payments on those loans are huge by average financial standards, and the cars are often worth thousands less than the purchase price within days of buying them."

Many experts suggest ensuring that the car you buy is no more than 1/10th of your gross annual income. So if you make $70,000 a year, you shouldn't buy more than a $7,000 car. Even if that doesn't seem realistic, it's a good blueprint to try to follow. After all, six years is a long time to lock yourself into paying for a car, which depreciates the moment it is driven off the lot.

"I regularly get questions from people about what they can do to fix their auto loan situation when only three years into their six-year loan term, their circumstances change and they can no longer afford the payment," Halliwell says. "Unfortunately, in many cases, they owe thousands more on the loan than the vehicle is worth, so they're often stuck."

Withdrawing money from your retirement plan for anything other than retirement. Yes, times are still tough for some people, but short of dredging up money to save your house from going into foreclosure or raising ransom money for a kidnapper, most financial gurus will tell you to stay away from your 401(k) or individual retirement account.

[See: 12 Money Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes.]

"Too many people take money out of a qualified plan or IRA to pay for everyday expenses. The Department of Labor has a word for this: 'leakage,'" says Kenn Tacchino, professor of taxation and financial planning at Widener University in Chester, Penn.

How devastating can it be? Tacchino says that when he is in the classroom, he offers his students this example:

"A 25-year-old is getting married and he wants to buy a $5,000 engagement ring. He is in the 28 percent marginal bracket and he will pay a 10 percent penalty to take the money from his IRA. He will need to take out $8,064 to buy the ring and pay the taxes. He throws caution to the wind and takes out the $8,064. Five thousand goes to buy the ring, and $3,064 goes to taxes. Had he kept the money and earned an 8 percent rate of return, he would have had over $195,000 at 65 for retirement. That's quite a ring!"

UFC 165: Jon Jones survives five-round battle, beats Alexander Gustafsson via unanimous decision

TORONTO – Jon Jones had to work like never before to keep his light heavyweight title, but a strong finish led him to a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 165 at the Air Canada Centre.

Jones won by scores of 48-47 twice and 49-46 in the toughest fight of his title reign. Yahoo Sports scored it 48-47 for Jones, giving Jones rounds 2, 4 and 5 and Gustafsson rounds 1 and 3.

Jones' title defense was his sixth, setting a division record for most successful title defenses at light heavyweight.

"Alexander was the best I've fought, by far," Jones said.

Gustafsson took the fight to Jones, using his boxing and, stunningly, his wrestling to get out to an early lead. He cut Jones over the right eye and by the fourth round, Jones was a mess, with blood streaming down his face and chest.

[Related: Slideshow: Best photos of UFC 165]

Like a champion, though, Jones rallied when it mattered most. In the fourth with the fight in the balance, Jones landed a move he had been trying a lot throughout the fight, connecting with a massive spinning elbow.

For the first time, Gustafsson seemed impacted by the blow and staggered back against the cage. Jones landed another and then flurried on Gustafsson, but he didn't have time to finish.

The fifth round went Jones' way, as he landed several kicks and finally got a takedown. Earlier in the fight, Gustafsson became the first man to take Jones down in the UFC.

Jones, who has dominated his fights in the past by taking opponents down and blasting them with razor-sharp elbows on the ground, had that taken away from him for the most part on Saturday. Gustafsson also neutralized Jones' clinch game.

But Jones' arsenal of strikes was so big, and he found a way to get the elbows and kicks in late in the fight that scored points and helped him retain his title.

Summer's end may have you feeling a bit down, but if you're anything like me, it's a comfort to know that the treasures of fall — Halloween, the leaves turning color, and apples (and apple picking!) — are just around the corner. We all know that apples help keep the doctor away, but I was fascinated to learn just how healthy my favorite fall fruits really are. Here, incredibly healthy reasons to go bananas for apples:

1. Apples Help You Lose Weight.

Apples are packed with fiber (with over 4 grams per medium apple) and water, so your stomach will stay satisfied longer and want less food. Studies out of Brazil have shown that people who eat at least three apples or pears a day lose weight. In one study, groups were given either oat cookies, apples or pears three times a day. The group given oat cookies did not lose weight while those that ate either the apples or the pears lost an average of nearly three pounds over the course of twelve weeks. What's more, the fruit-munching group had lower blood glucose levels.

2. Apples stabilize blood sugar.

Around one gram of apples' fiber is the soluble kind, which slows the digestion of food and the entry of glucose into the bloodstream, which prevents spikes of sugar and insulin that can lead to type 2 diabetes. One group of researchers discovered that women who ate at least one apple a day were 28 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who ate none.

3. Apples fight high cholesterol.

Apples are low in calories (only 95 per medium fruit) and high in the soluble fiber pectin, which helps lower artery-damaging LDL blood cholesterol levels. A study publisehd in the Journal of Functional Foods found that an apple a day lowered study participants' LDL by 40% compared to people taking a placebo. Since high cholesterol can harden arteries (which can lead to a heart attack or stroke), lowering cholesterol levels is a key step to maintain a healthy heart.

4. Apples prevent high blood pressure.

Adults who eat apples are 37 percent less likely to have hypertension, according to a recent food database analysis. Scientists believe antioxidants found in the skin may contribute to keeping blood pressure in check, so don't ditch that peel!

Read about more incredible health benefits of apples!

MORE FROM READER’S DIGEST

"I Lost 60 Pounds and Got My Life Back!"
13 Digest Diet-Approved Cozy Fall Recipes
7 Tricks to Make a Healthy Smoothie
8 Ways to Train Your Brain to Hate Junk Food
Lean Protein: 11 Healthy Ways to Load Up