Blogs from Centre, Ecuador, South America - page 2

Quick monitoring blog on tanks and answers to JonG questions. Although my focus was on intake areas, i did pass by several tanks and was able to learn that in general the tank system is working well now after recent upgrades, constant vigilence required but maintenance not a heavy burdent. For instance, walking anywhere with Sacatoro brothers we always checked tanks as we walked by and at least one time we heard folks hollering about tank maintenance from other side of vally. Paulino did indicate the re-usable concrete forms were stored somewhere but i did not catch the exact location. He also told me that the big, older tank was constructed some time ago and he did not remember exactly when or by whom. There is great interest in larger tanks for storage but recognition that ... read more

Monitoring New Project Area with Paulino + Guantugloma Water Committee The Guantugloma community has respectfully requested help from their neighbors in Malinguapamba (MP), the Centro Educativo La Minga (CELM), Engineers Without Borders (EWB), and Rotary International (Rotary) to help them improve their water system, both potable and irrigation, following the successful examples at MP. Paulino has been guiding their effort and they have a strong committee set up, documented water rights, and the same cooperative attitude we find at MP. They also have a recent water tank project completed with funding from CELM and guidance from MP, now becoming the local experts on these systems. This may be where the re-usable tank forms now reside. Paulino and i drove up the road from Site 9/Mallingua Yaku to Guantugloma and met with thier Water Committee including Augustine ... read more

Technical monitoring blog here, so as they say, "get yer nerd on." Malingua Yaku is one of several water source areas, in this case Paulino thought a good place to discuss their intake technology and sediment problems, one of my techical goals. Area is described in March 2009 EWB report, including photos, and supplies the D1 and D3 potable water systems (see Appendix C in March 2009 EWB report). This area is sometimes called "Pucara Springs" in reports. Source water is captured in several springs at toe of cliffs of resistant volcanic layer in very steep drainage between hills at ~3,600 meters (11,850 to 12,000 feet). Source area is protected by conservation ageement (note fencing in photos more in another blog) and, after some serious issues about 10 years ago, now offers very high quality drinking ... read more

Quick monitoring blog for Malinguapamba vivero (plant nursury), also on my technical to-do list. Vivero was set up some time ago and used to cultivate several thousand plants used during the October EWB erosion control mingas, also the locally-initiated December planting minga for Camino de Pucara (2 km at greater than one plant per meter, more in blog later). Vivero was a bit rough when i arrived but a minga cleaned things up while i was there. Did not have time to count but estimate 5,000 + bags full of soil and in place ready for planting, also ~125 plants ready to go. Reasonable diversity, not much Scottish broom, good sense we can grow LOTS of plants for future efforts. Also noticed additional ground downhill from vivero and including sprinklers, not vivero? Note the Malinguans are ... read more

Looks like i lost blogs 7 & 8 so will redo from Malinguapamba (MP). BANOS -- after my spanish classes i did quite a bit of hiking wanting to get ready for MP hiking and field work. Banos is lower than MP but similar steep country with centuries of agriculture in relative harmony with the landscape, that it, most of the ag is small (human) scale worked by hand with some amount of disking etc by small tractors. Soil is often quite rich and deep developed on colluvium and landslide deposits from metamorphic rocks (schist). Lots of great examples of ag/fenceline best practices using plants to control slope, which is often MUCH more than 100%, 70-80 degrees and lots of vertical cuts. While most is green and well vegetated, when soils/rock give way the landslides/debris avelanches ... read more