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How much water on a Mediterranean hill?

Hi, gang.

This message is perilously close to completely off topic for the list,
so please forgive me if I offend, but I need a little help in planning
for my Mediterranean-climate hillside.

I have just moved into a house that has a big back yard.  Most of it is
a large south-facing hill, with a slope of about one in four (one foot
down for every four feet out).  Maybe as steep as one in three in spots.

The lot is completely bare, literally scraped Earth.

My problem is figuring out what I can safely plant on the hill, and how
to terrace/shape it.  For much of it, I'll obviously use
Mediterranean-climate plants.  But I'd also like to put in some citrus
and fruit trees.  They use a lot of water.  Plus a little lawn on top
for the kids to run around.  How do I know when I'm in danger of putting
too much water into the hillside?

If you live in a rainy climate, you may not realize what a scary issue
this can be.  In a Mediterranean climate, you can get hillsides that
stand only because they don't get much lubrication from rain.  Disturb
them by building a house on top, add a little extra water for your
landscaping, and one rainy night you find your house at the bottom of
the hill.

I think I need a professional to help me, but I don't know what job
titles or degrees to look for.  Any suggestions?  A lot of landscaping
companies around here would be happy to draw up plans for me, but I have
a feeling that many of them are more artists than soil engineers.

If this topic is too esoteric for the list, feel free to send replies to
me privately.  On the other hand, if there's interest, I'll post back
what I learn.

Thanks,

Mike
San Jose, CA, Zone 9 (min temp 20F)
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