What to do with spring fed cistern and trough?

[chh]

As mentioned the pipe coming up probably went to a pump of some sort. The partially buried troughs look like some of the setups I have seen locally installed into pond dams, that are supposed to be pretty much freeze proof, to provide a year round water source for livestock. Yours ,being spring fed, would probably be even better. I would say you are most likely correct with the remains of the one building being a spring house for butter or milk. It was a very common form of refrigeration at one time. I would sure try to preserve or protect what was left of the cistern and troughs. When you start having more time to spend on the place you might find them to be great water sources.
I am sorry to read of your security issues. I hope you have gotten them all worked out.
Best wishes on your tour, God speed and Thank you and your family for your service and sacrifice.

 

[MotorSeven]

All that "stuff" on your property has to make you ponder. Like my place, a graveyard with a Yank soldier buried there(made it thru over 4 years of the war between the states & lived here on the farm). I have found arrowheads(Cherokee or Creek), a mule shoe, a draft horse shoe & 1800's fencing. All this adds up to one thing.......{we} are mere custodians of our property. I want to leave it better than I found it........

History is beneath my feet here on my farm & yours, enjoy it because it is special!

RD

 

[whistlepig]

I recently returned to Iraq from two weeks leave. While I spent a lot of time securing my farm due to the recent vandalism I also examined two of four man made water features. I have three spring fed troughs and one cistern.

The cistern is about 12' x 12' x 12' and has a pipe at an upper corner that feeds the water from what I presume is a spring, there is always water in it. There is a pipe visible in the picture. I do not know what the pipe does. The cistern is pretty far from the house. I looked at aerial photos from as far back as the 50s and do not see a structure but somebody spent a lot of time and effort putting this thing in!

What is the pipe for? What should I do with this very nice water source? I was considering capping it and putting in a hand pump or something. Maybe clear the dirt and build a brick spring house over it. Any idea what it may have been used for originally? The water is crisp and clean.

Next I have this concrete trough. Again, not close to the house. It is only visited by deer now. The fish I put in there have been living there for three years. The water is crisp and clean but there is allot of muck in there from many years of abandonment. It goes back into the hillside very far, beyond four feet...I stuck a shovel handle in there. Not sure what it was originally used for either. Any thoughts on original use, the odd concrete design, or future use?

Thanks for your thought and advice, regards-Shawn

First of all let me express my genuine respect for you. That you are risking all for this country.

 

[whistlepig]

I recently returned to Iraq from two weeks leave. While I spent a lot of time securing my farm due to the recent vandalism I also examined two of four man made water features. I have three spring fed troughs and one cistern.

The cistern is about 12' x 12' x 12' and has a pipe at an upper corner that feeds the water from what I presume is a spring, there is always water in it. There is a pipe visible in the picture. I do not know what the pipe does. The cistern is pretty far from the house. I looked at aerial photos from as far back as the 50s and do not see a structure but somebody spent a lot of time and effort putting this thing in!

What is the pipe for? What should I do with this very nice water source? I was considering capping it and putting in a hand pump or something. Maybe clear the dirt and build a brick spring house over it. Any idea what it may have been used for originally? The water is crisp and clean.

Next I have this concrete trough. Again, not close to the house. It is only visited by deer now. The fish I put in there have been living there for three years. The water is crisp and clean but there is allot of muck in there from many years of abandonment. It goes back into the hillside very far, beyond four feet...I stuck a shovel handle in there. Not sure what it was originally used for either. Any thoughts on original use, the odd concrete design, or future use?

Thanks for your thought and advice, regards-Shawn

First of all let me express my genuine and deepest respect for you. That you are risking all for this country. I may be off base but I have seen something identical to this. In Eastern Ohio the ground is full of shale oil. A dug well will bring up only oily water that is not drinkable. Cistern water sucks if you had to rely on it as a single source. So they tap in to the natural springs. There are people that tap in to these springs for a living there. The way they tapped in to the springs is to run a pipe from the spring in to three settling basins. Your pictures appear to be settling basins. All three settling basins that I saw were concrete. Then this is pumped in to the house through a good filter system. They have no other alternative there. This is very good water. I have had many a good cup of coffee from it. Spring water it is.