Brainstorming my first permie style project

The goal of this project will be to collect filter and slow release of around 1000 feet of road runoff that comes onto my property at the driveway.

Blue = catchments with 4 in plastic corrugated trenched
Red = major water flow
Green =township drainage system that does absolutely nothing because the sod surrounding it is higher the the road surface.  It empties in to the field across the sideroad to the south
Purple= a shallow ditch that runs downhill to the field below.

Usda zone 6b Elevation 900ft ASL Annual rainfall 40-60 inches. With a droughtish period august September

Soil is almost pure clay on the slope gradually becomes a bit loamy when it levels off.

Tools available  chain trencher, backhoe FEL, and my ole'back.

Materials available will be sand, gravel, biochar, leaf mold, fresh chip drop, aged non composted manure, rotten firewood and bark, bricks, honeysuckle brush(fresh or aged on the ground.


The goal is to retain moisture uphill to slowly water and build nutrients for a wood mulch garden down low. There is a swampy area in the wooded lot to the west and i should be able to attract some amphibians of i can retain enough moisture. I would enjoy a peach tree and a cherry tree somewhere. I will try to add photos of the land now that the snow is melting.

Green= dripline of huge black walnut
Peach=proposed peach location?
Red=  cherry?

Blue=previous garden plot

I had turned in some grass clippings and had a decent crop for a couple years. It is now choked off with Bermuda grass sod.

White = structure with peeling lead paint....Boo

I was thinking of dumping into a reed bed at the top. Would be able to aquire some cattail locally. Was thinking it would be cool to have some water chestnut to harvest. More details  to come  I'm a bit tired atm.

I was thinking of starting with a 100-150sq foot reed bed with wild rice, cattail, water chesnut.(do all those play well together and what if it dries out a bit late summer?) It would encompass the area from near the neighbors arborvitae maybe in a semi circle back to near the drive. Their fence is 5 ft back from property line. would the additional water harm the evergreen? It'd be awesome to empty it out into a seasonal dry creekbed if i could find enough stone. Leading to two swales for fruit tree planting halfway up the hill. then preparing the garden in the flat area below in a manner that reduces watering requirements. would i need to filter the water before the reed bed if i was to eat out of it?

okay. i have some questions but out of what i gather,
1. yes i would put a reed bed at the top if you think the water wont flush the whole system away (depends on the kind of rain and how fast the water flows down from the road)
2. Swales swales and more swales was the first thing i thought, trying to divert that red water flow line so it doesn't go to the house
3. the reed bed and all those pretty plants would filter the water for you, you could add a bit o charcoal in the reed bed system like you would use in a greywater treatment. but i don't think it's a problem after for the garden plants, unless you live in a very polluted area.
how would it be if trees are on the top and reed bed closer to the bottom? i think trees profit from better drainage and i suppose its more clayey at the bottom..but you might have to make bigger swales to divert water in the right direction and slow it down to go into the reed bed. (not sure if im getting everything right)

Thanks! No time for a full reply right now but no extreme pollution.  Normal road oily run off  and road salt.  Ive resolved the flooding in the front with the addition of  all of the blue .the pipe parallel to the drive is drainage for a retaining wall.

The hill is one hundred percent clay....where it begins to level off was most likely an alluvial forrest before is fairly rich soil