In a dry climate much of the benefit of swales and berms can be achieved on a small scale. Small dips and ridges in your soil can keep more water in place. You want to keep as much water from reaching sloping hardscape (concrete, asphalt, etc) as possible.
Depressions can be filled with pebbles or packed wood chips to still capture water but avoid mud puddles, potholes and wet shoes. actually just applying mulch of any sort will slow down run off and keep more water on the land, though organic mulches such as wood chips are ideal. You want ground surfaces to be rough and porous, not smooth. Some people may think that mulch keeps rain from reaching the soil, but one should think of mulch as the first layer of soil. Rain will percolate through mulch and the moist mulch itself will act like a wet blanket retarding soil evaporation. Of course when heavier rains come larger berms and swales will be of benefit. Of course the soil from every dug wale can be used for to build a berm. Mulch and plant your berms to reduce erosion but also consider filling your swales with organic matter, Almost like in-ground compost piles. You don't need to move the compost anywhere else. It will have benefit where it is, Just jeep topping your swale-cold compost pile with new organic matter whenever you find some (woodchips, newspaper, card board, fallen leaves, yard trimmings, etc.). Basically, just hugelkultur your whole garden, one why or another.
