Minimal Excavation Waterholes

[SD51555]

It's really a frustrating subject. First five years I had my property, it wouldn't stop raining and I couldn't find a high spot to grow anything. Now, I'm down 5-10' from my lowest point in spots with dug water holes, and I can't hold water. I think next year, my well might not pump a drop of water. It had the shortest functioning period this past year, and I suspect there won't be enough rise in ground water to hit the pipe. Might have to redo that well.

 

[Brian662]

It's really a frustrating subject. First five years I had my property, it wouldn't stop raining and I couldn't find a high spot to grow anything. Now, I'm down 5-10' from my lowest point in spots with dug water holes, and I can't hold water. I think next year, my well might not pump a drop of water. It had the shortest functioning period this past year, and I suspect there won't be enough rise in ground water to hit the pipe. Might have to redo that well.

How deep is the well? Is it a home-made job? Seems odd for a well to go dry with how deep they normally get drilled.

 

[SD51555]

How deep is the well? Is it a home-made job? Seems odd for a well to go dry with how deep they normally get drilled.

This ain't no proper well. This is a $100 one hour well. I dug down as far as I could reach with the excavator (10') and dropped in a 2" pipe inside a 4" pipe and a 12 volt pump. It worked for years and all year long. When the rain quit four years ago, i started having problems.

I may redo that when I have the excavator this summer. I could go down another 5' with the excavator and put in an 18" pipe. That should give me about unlimited water and water holding capacity. That is of course until it drops past that too. That could be a two hour job and an extra day getting it all ready and put back together. Ripping out the old one and dropping in the new one wouldn't be too big of a deal.