This sounds somewhat like Keyline Design (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyline_design" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyline_design</a>) a technique developed in Australia to slow water down, minimize runoff, and maximize water infiltration into the ground.<p>The primary tool is a Keyline Plow or just a standard subsoiler. You simply rip lines slightly off contour based on a "key point" on the topography. This encourages water to flow laterally across the hill from the wet valleys to dry ridge lines, slowing and soaking in the water rather than flowing straight down hill and causing erosion.<p>Pretty much every farm and ranch should be doing this - but on a direct local scale on each piece of property rather than yet another public works project.