Water — The Lifeblood of the Landscape
Water is the lifeblood of every living system and the foundation of good permaculture design. In this first episode of Discover Permaculture: The Podcast, Host Geoff Lawton is joined by Ben Missimer, Eric Seider, and Sam Parker-Davies to explore how water shapes landscapes, communities and even peace itself. From the hidden rainmakers of the forest canopy to the power of LiDAR mapping and the revival of ancient aquifers, this conversation dives deep into how we can read, restore and regenerate the Earth through design.
Key Takeaways:
00:01:48 – 00:03:26: Water is the mainframe of design—slow it, spread it, soak it, and deserts like Jordan’s Dead Sea Valley can turn into abundance.
00:04:13 – 00:08:35: High-resolution LiDAR mapping has revolutionized permaculture, exposing the flaws in low-resolution satellite data and giving designers accuracy to work with.
00:15:34 – 00:19:04: Myths about water persist—pure water doesn’t “go off,” swales don’t breed mosquitoes, and clean rainwater is often safer to drink than tap water.
00:22:08 – 00:23:56: Designing with water means reducing evaporation, increasing condensation, slowing flow, soaking, storing in ponds and aquifers, and letting water touch as much life as possible.
00:25:20 – 00:27:35: Removing trees from ridgelines is the fastest way to create deserts; responsible grazing and reforestation are essential to recharge aquifers.
00:29:18 – 00:31:54: The Ogallala Aquifer, the largest in the US, is being drained—some areas may run dry in 20 years—showing the urgency for water-harvesting earthworks at scale.
00:40:19 – 00:41:42: Condensation drip from trees is more reliable than rainfall—cutting down “rain trees” collapses the hidden cycles that keep rivers and streams flowing.
00:52:31 – 00:55:08: Swivel pipes in swales at Zaytuna Farm make water management flexible—transforming once-dry valleys into permanent wildlife ponds.
01:06:29 – 01:07:41: From broad landscapes to home gardens, humans can design water systems that cooperate with nature, just as beavers slow rivers and birds disperse seeds.
01:09:02 – 01:11:32: New mapping reveals entire catchments and flood flows unseen before, allowing designers to prepare for floods and store years of water in hours of rainfall.
01:13:19 – 01:14:41: Of all the water on Earth, only a tiny fraction is available in rivers, lakes, and soils—most is saltwater, ice, or locked underground.
01:24:42 – 01:25:45: Water can be a peace blanket—when designed well, it provides enough for everyone and removes reasons for conflict.
01:28:24 – 01:29:04: Water systems don’t just hydrate landscapes—they feed us too. Aquaculture offers more production per area than farming on land.
