I have a water weep

[savageactor7]

Back in the bronze age we had one of those but I didn't know what it was called. Even in a sustained drought this localized area would never dry up...it was always mucky even in a sustained drought.

When my neighbor took her cows off it we put a 75'x100' pond there.

Thought is was going to be an easy take but after a few swipes of a dozer to save the top soil revealed a 6" bubbly spring that contaminated the dig with water.

So you should expect that too I'm thinking. Anyone that has dug ponds will know what to do and have no trouble. With us one day my wife decided it would be a good thing to have a pond there so that was that.

It's all good now though and I'm real pleased we did it. imo one of the best recreational and practical projects we've ever done. Good for swimming ,fishing, watering the garden.

 

[dmccarty]

We have one spring on our place and another on what used to be our land before we sold it. Both are at the bottom of a ridge so I think the water runs down hill and ends up at these two spots. The spring on our land was the site of a still. The small "ditch" they dug in the dirt is still there. The "ditch" looks like it was dug with a stick. The still was from many decades ago because they were using kerosene in a metal can and I found the top of a clay jug for the shine. The jug looks like the ones Mr. Darling plays on Andy Griffith. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Some of the old farm sites have a large clay pipe for the well. The pipe is around 36 inches across and I am not sure how deep they buried them. Some are covered by a well house/building but others are exposed. I always wonder if they pipes were put in over a spring or just hand dug in place...

Later,
Dan

 

[forgeblast]

I think I found what I was looking for. Its a sump pump barrel. It was 24x18(wide) and would fit in the area nicely. It has a lockable lid and would be easy to drill to put in any overflows. A bit of washed peagravel in the bottom would hold it in place nicely.
I found it because the uv filter (the power unit) died and I had to get a new one. 250.00 for a new one, apparently the old one (10 years old) had a design flaw. This one is much better, and even churps when the light bulb dies so you can get a new one. (bulbs are 100.00 a piece but last for a year).

 

[forgeblast]

I was searching a bit more and came across this
Revolutionary Realty | Coeur d'Alene Real Estate Agency | Idaho Backcountry Retreats
nice site with pics and shows the manhole cover and how they have the water filtered.
My buddy just bought a couple acres that bordered his property and as we were walking it we found an old well, similar to what I want to make.
It is fieldstone lined and about 3' deep and you can see where they had a cover over it. It is filled with mud, so we have to pump it clean and then test the water. BUt when its pumped dry I think I am going to take a good look at what they have done. I do want to stabalize the sides of my bank and dig down a bit. I am collecting stone now since we are going to be building a small smokehouse (3x3 inner dimensions) out of fieldstone since it will be near my fieldstone shed.