The term I was looking for is "Johads" https://www.notechmagazine.com/2015/06/water-johads-a-low-tech-alternative-to-mega-dams-in-india.html https://www.notech

The term I was looking for is "Johads" https://www.notechmagazine.com/2015/06/water-johads-a-low-tech-alternative-to-mega-dams-in-india.html https://www.notechmagazine.com/2015/06/water-johads-a-low-te... They expressly do not dam a stream, they collect runoff. You put them in low lying areas that normally form puddles in monsoon. The idea is to prevent runoff, just like the ones in peru.