From 2013 - 2015, I was working as part of a design team for a 11.9 hectare (29 acre) project in North Bulgaria. The project aim was to establish an organic cherry orchard originally designed by The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). My role was to look into the rainwater harvesting potential of the site. I prefer to start the surveying and analysis before any decision on what should be planted has been made, but when working for clients that is not always possible. Such was this case.
The immediate challenge was to provide an irrigation solution that will meet the water needs for the whole site. It’s a difficult site in that although flanked by two streams to the east and west and the river Chervishtitsa to the south, the site is like a huge wedge rising up above the flanking streams.