New Spring Improvement Up At The Ranch

rick91351 · December 26, 2011, 11:55:27 PM

We have a low producing domestic well on our ranch. We could use it for the house, with the use of a cistern or holding tank of some type. However above where we want to build the house there is a spring. So I asked my buddy with the excavator next time he had it on his lowboy, and he had a little time to give me a call. If I was around we would put in another spring.

I have so wanted to photo opt one of these. But as quickly as he works on his excavator and his back hoe and him not exactly being the photo opt type. Me and his hired man with shovels. We were lugging and laying drain pipe, directing gravel, smoothing that all out. Then lugging liner, getting it laid down and him starting the back fill it was pretty busy. This was coupled with the fact this one did not go near as smooth as some in the past. Nor was the lighting real good. And the temps were dipping down and the wind was howling and was basically as cold as a well diggers ____s. Or a brass monkey's____s. We were more into getting it done and getting out of the cold wind than photos.

This was put in just before Thanksgiving. The house is going to be built there where the red and white pick up is sitting.

So today the day after Christmas I decided to sneak off and see how well it is doing now that it has had a chance to hydraulic in. This is also because we have not had any moisture to speak of since one storm in September. This is a great test to see how well it will flow from now to the end of February. According to the Department of Water Resources anyway that is the critical time. I have water rights to this spring for livestock water not domestic. If it works for domestic we will have to refile on it for such.

Anyway from what I found it is running a nice .75 gallons per minute. Wow! That does not sound like much you say. I agree. But that is 45 gallons per hour. In 24 hours that is a remarkable 1080 gallons.

My plan is to bury a 2500 gallon poly cistern about there where that old iron stock water tank is. With my cheap out dated GPS that shows about a 23 foot drop to the building site. I talked to a well and pump man here. He says that he can put into the line a on demand boost pump if we need it.

Also where we are going to come down off the hill is within feet of one of my RV pads. I think I will go up the hill with well water to the 2500 gallon cistern and if the spring dries up for a period. I would just have to open a valve and pump well water into it.

NM_Shooter · December 27, 2011, 10:59:48 AM

Very nice! That is a great flow rate and will be perfect.

I have a spring above my cabin site, but it is 300 yards away and only about 20 feet uphill. It also is currently a wallow for elk and cattle and would take a significant amount of cleaning prior to use.

December 27, 2011, 11:24:12 AM

Wonderful improvement Rick!

I have several large springs to use but since I'm on the top of the highest hill, gravity is not my friend.

rick91351 · July 23, 2012, 01:05:43 AM

We finely got around to getting the spring water tested for domestic use. As far as Coliform bacteria it came back negative and with a clean bill of health from the Idaho State Lab.

I talked to Idaho State Water Resources and we can change our water rights to this spring from livestock usage to domestic use no problem. I just have to refile our water rights on it as domestic and pay the Mr. Government Man his fees of I think $50.00. Thank you Mr. Government Man!

peternap · July 23, 2012, 02:05:35 PM

I'm glad it tested OK Rick.

Sure glad we don't have to do it. Our water is our water until it leaves our property.

July 23, 2012, 04:49:15 PM

Quote from: peternap on July 23, 2012, 02:05:35 PM
I'm glad it tested OK Rick.

Sure glad we don't have to do it. Our water is our water until it leaves our property.

We never had such nonsense until the Snake Rive Water Adjudication. Idaho Power tried to basically claim all free flowing water in Idaho no matter of past water rights and claims. That property had water right filed from the 1880's and we had to refile.

Redoverfarm · July 23, 2012, 06:23:46 PM

Rick it is good that you are getting decent water. I am like Peter in that I'm not sure that I could live with "Water rights". Maybe it will come to it one day but I wilol probably will not be around to see.

rick91351 · July 23, 2012, 11:45:02 PM

Quote from: Redoverfarm on July 23, 2012, 06:23:46 PM
Rick it is good that you are getting decent water. I am like Peter in that I'm not sure that I could live with "Water rights". Maybe it will come to it one day but I wilol probably will not be around to see.

Water rights are a very good thing. And filing on springs was never an issue until now. The purpose of changing the classification from stock water to domestic is sort of a gray area. Yet if you file on a spring as being domestic and there is no dwelling or domestic use you could loose your water right to that spring. And the opposite side is true as well as us tapping into a spring we claimed as being for stock water we have no right to it as domestic use. And there are people who will turn you in because they are just that way. So cross your T's and dot your I's.

Further we have a stream that flows through our property.

We use it to irrigate this:

We can use it for irrigation from the middle of May through September if I remember right. We have water rights to it and no one above us can use that water to irrigate with. I think they could file for stock water usage on. However they could not capture nor retain that water.

Remember this is western desert and we do not get rain like you guys normally do. From about June to September it is hot and dry as a norm. If you do not have water you just do not have much.