Vineyard Swale

Brr... it was frosty this morning. The vehicle had been out in the rain all yesterday and the raindrops had frozen all over it. And the door locks were frozen. That does not happen very often here in Blenheim.
I drove out with the dogs and we enjoyed our walk in the frost and along the tracks on the true right bank of the Taylor River.
We cannot get across the river to our usual route at the moment due to high flood flows over the Omaka ford. The water is gradually dropping but some repairs will be needed to the approaches to the ford before it is usable again.
By the time we got to Turnbulls Vineyard much of the frost had gone and we were enjoying bright sunshine.
During the last few weeks contractors have been working in the north end of the vineyard and into a section of the river reserve. Drainage has been a problem at times of high rainfall and there has been considerable flooding and residual surface water in this area.
So we now have a carefully engineered swale through the northern end of the vineyard and into the reserve. It is working well. A small stream of water can be seen at the bottom of this image. The swale carries the water from a culvert on Taylor Pass Road to the southeast and meanders along the northern boundary of the vineyard. It then crosses the reserve and discharges into the Taylor River.
In the last week or so large numbers of trees and shrubs have been planted at the reserve end. This planting will certainly enhance the area once they become established.