irrigation help??

[azfarmboy]

I just acquired 40 acres to farm the entire property is 80 it was farmed at one time but I don't see any irrigation ditches the property has a well that has been stripped of all wire and I'm not sure if the pump is still there??? How much would it cost me to fix the pump or what is another alternative I can use other than the well the property is located east of phoenix Arizona any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Jerry/MT]

This is not a simple question to answer with the info you have supplied.
Find out what the previous owner who farmed it used for a water supply. Is there an irrigation project you are part of? Do you have a water right?
Have a local pump shop inspect the well and test pump it. They can give you an estimate of what the well is capable of pumping and what a pump to irrigate would cost. Then you need to get some irrigation pipe or a wheel line, etc.

 

[byronlj]

You need to contact your local farm service agency to find out if there are any irrigation water rights for the property. I kind of doubt it because that should have been part of the sales agreement. The previous owner may have sold their water rights for big bucks.
Dave

 

[azfarmboy]

The land used to be a dairy when the original owner passed away the bank took it I believe the irrigation district stops about 5 miles south of the property I dont remember if I said it had a hay farm on it. Do you know of any Ag pump shops that in this area I've found a few but they are all about a hundred plus miles south the srp canal that feeds the irrigation district runs about a quarter mile west of me would it be plausible to try to get the permits to run an irrigation ditch from the canal would that cost ridiculous amounts of money?

 

[powerscol]

First look up your state water agency, or the department covering ground water wells. Your well should have a standing well number. In Colorado you can find the information online under state government under department of natural resources. You should be able to GOOGLE it. Next stop is your local USDA office, or county agg office. They will have a lot of information on irrigation for your area.

Another source is look in the phone book under irrigation pipe, etc. You will probably find listing for both pipe supplies and complicate irrigation systems - there are USDA grant for putting in efficient systems.

Last source is talk with you neighbors that have irrigation equipment and find out from them on sources.

The big question is the water rights - you will need them. Well water usually stays with the land, but check.

 

[boggen]

others stated it better, pretty much it is contacting the various government bodies first.

being in Arizonia, i would imagine well's in general is even bigger deal vs here in illinois. and keeping records and like at a government location. and with that.. when well was put in, it most likely had info, (depth, diameter, pump info, gpm, along with who did it and when), all sent into some local government agency. and you should be able to look this stuff up.

you may be able to get all the info online, or you may have to actual visit / request info from a government agency, (depends on how up to date with internet they are, rules/regs that have been put in place since then in retrieving information).

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beyond that, it is taking top off well,
--and pulling the pump out if there is one, and finding spec's on it,
--along with "inside diameter" of the pipe connected to the pump.
--and how deep the well is,
--how deep the water is in it
--diameter of the well to figure how much water it holds
--finding how fast the water comes back into the well (gpm)
--getting well water tested ((a local water company might charge you / free)), you may have a county office that gives away free test kits, and a small service fee to have water tested))

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you might be able to contact company that put in well. and get some info from them on the specs of the well. ((again government agency first))