Water tank on the edge of a swam ?

[wisconsinteacher]

I would like to put a 100 water tank in the ground on the edge of a swamp. The part of the swamp I'm looking at is the highest part so in the summer months it is dry there. If I dig in a water tank and put 20-25 gallons of dirt in the tank, will it stay put even during spring flooding when the water is high?

 

[Telemark]

Depends on the purpose/reason. Are you planning to hunt over it?

 

[rocksnstumps]

I would put rocks in btm vs any dirt. Had a couple plastic barrels cut in half for awhile in the ground. Got tired of the silting up from runoff and not holding as much water as they should and a bit of heaving after winter. A tank with more vertical sides vs a curved barrel might stay in place better however

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I do plan on hunting over the water tank. My biggest worry is putting it in an area that gets wet during the spring and if the beavers get the creek blocked up before I can get them out of there.

 

[gunther89]

I will add that we have noticed if deer have access to water year round( like a creek or swamp) that deer don't hit the water hole hardly at all. We have 1 on top of a hill and below it a natural spring flows and deer barely use it. Now we also have a water hole on a different property that has no water near it and deer use it 24/7. Have to refill it once a week in fall cause it gets used so much.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Line of travel makes a difference in my opinion as well. If the water hole is the 1st thing they come to when leaving the bedding area they will use it or if it is located in the feeding area.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I will be putting this water tank on the major trail coming around the edge of the swamp. I just want to make the area a little better. I have a water tank on the other side of the land and it is used all the time by deer as they leave bedding and head to the neighbor's hay field.

 

[Fair oak]

I think it’s a good idea on a major trail. Should be a place for them to stop for a minute or 2. Dig it in and put concrete blocks or rocks in the bottom and I’d think that would anchor it during floods. Is there a nice shady and secure spot in the close vicinity? That’s what I’d be looking for.

It will probably freeze up at the most inconvenient times (late bow, rifle) but still should get some patterned use and be ice free most of bow season.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

There is a big bedding area near by. They travel from there to my food plot or the neighbor's oaks.

I read a tip last year that said to put a few 2 liter bottles of salt water in the tank to help it from freezing up as fast. I'm in NW WI so it is going to freeze around rifle season, but if we have a warm rut it should be perfect.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Can you just hand dig a hole in the swamp instead? I did that on the edge of my swamp to use as a water source when I wanted to water adjacent apple trees on high ground. In about 15 minutes of digging I had a small watering hole that holds water year round.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Ben, that might work. I'm not sure what I will find when I start digging in this area. If I can make a hole without the rubber maid tank that would be great.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

If you can dig the hole in the swamp edge, I'm pretty sure it will hold water. You might need to dig it a little deeper during a dry summer, but I think that would be a better option in the long term than having to haul out water to fill the tank.