Any ideas how to devolpe a Natural Spring...

[blueriver]

When I purchased this property they showed me where the owner (deceased) had started to devople a natural spring.

With the current heat and drought I thought I should go inspect it more ...

There appears to be a 4" PVC pipe dumping into a 1000 gallon septic tank ...

The other end looks as though it was dug into the bank ...

Even in these drought conditions the tank is half full of water and the creek bed has standing water trying to make its way to my pond ... over 500' total ... the water only makes it about 100' before it disappears.

One would think there would be a way to get this spring really flowing and the water to make it to my pond ... it does make it other years when we are not so dry.

Or could it just be that under these conditions that just the way it will be?

 

[lhfarm]

Here is a link to an old thread - http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/124864-freshwater-spring-development.html There is a link there to a nice article on spring development.

I would love to find a good spring on our property. There are a couple nearby. Let us know how things work out.

 

[Egon]

The flow rate and amount will depend on the geology of your area and the source and extent of the spring water aquifer.

Without that type of information proper answeres are hard to come by.

 

[jbooth]

We recently cleared some trees on an area that has a natural spring. This increase the spring flow tremendously. I had read where red cedar trees could wick as much as 30 gallons of water a day. I have no reason to doubt that the trees do use large volumes of water. I expect during dry times the amounts of tree water usage goes higher. We only cleared the willows, cottonwoods, osage orange, thorny locust, and left the walnut trees. I expect you could increase the flow on a spring if the "waste" trees were cleared.

Edit: Just tried to find the source of water consumption of trees. Did not find my original source but did find another that suggested some trees used as much as 800 gallons a day each, if water was avaialable. If not available the tree sort of "shuts down", hence the narrow growth rings. I like trees and springs too, but maybe could hit a happy medium.

 

[Danno1]

If not available the tree sort of "shuts down", hence the narrow growth rings. I like trees and springs too, but maybe could hit a happy medium.

Narrow rings means a slower growing tree. But it also means superior lumber from that tree.



.

 

[magicheater]

Narrow rings means a slower growing tree. But it also means superior lumber from that tree.

The rings also indicate the rainfall for the year which along with the temperature for that year can influence the growth rate, hence wider or narrower rings. Are they any species you know of that are naturally slow growing?

 

[blueriver]

The flow rate and amount will depend on the geology of your area and the source and extent of the spring water aquifer.

Without that type of information proper answeres are hard to come by.

That is correct ... 1/4 mile from me a neighbor springs. Even in the drought conditions his is running alot of water.

He dug down and placed a 5' diameter tin horn 4 ft in the ground ... I went over yesterday and darn that thing is flowing big time ... filling his pond and the pond is overflowing.

 

[blueriver]

Here is a link to an old thread - http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/124864-freshwater-spring-development.html There is a link there to a nice article on spring development.

I would love to find a good spring on our property. There are a couple nearby. Let us know how things work out.

Thanks for the link ... I have managed to get in there with the small tractor .. I have moved alot of silt and mud.

The PVC line was not where I believed it to be it had made a 90 degree turn, I followed that and found a lot of pvc at different angles and it appears the prior owner had dug this out years ago... a large area with 1-1 1/2 inch rock.

I have water flowing out of the pipe ... I still need to go further to find the end of that pipe. I believe that is where the head of the spring is.

Now the problem is MUD ... loss of traction and lack of room to manuver. At least the water is flowing.

 

[J_J]

Have you contacted some of those stick/wire users that can find PVC, just by walking over it? They claim they can do it.

 

[blueriver]

Have you contacted some of those stick/wire users that can find PVC, just by walking over it? They claim they can do it.

No I sure have not ... The maze of pvc runs all over the place. The pieces I am digging out with the FEL have saw curfs on the bottom side all layed out on top of the rock bed. The main line keeps going and about every 3 feet is a Tee with more PVC running out ot that ... I am convinced if I keep following that line (whick I believe will be the head) Thats where I plan to make the attack digging down about 5' then placeing the tin horn in standing up.

I'm thinking once thats done and I start moving water the flow will get better.

I have willow trees that have uprooted that also need to be moved.

I'll shoot some pictures today.