Natural spring vs Ponds/Swales

Hi All,

We have a natural spring on our land (runs 9 months of the year). Can we convert it (i.e. dig it out) into a pond? If so, how best can we do it? If not, how best can we incorporate it into a greater pond/swale system?


Regards,

EdwardG,

Edward Gaybba wrote:Hi All,

We have a natural spring on our land (runs 9 months of the year). Can we convert it (i.e. dig it out) into a pond? If so, how best can we do it? If not, how best can we incorporate it into a greater pond/swale system?


Regards,

EdwardG,

Some years ago I lived in a place with gravity fed spring water and I used the overflow from the storage tank to fill a small pond.
It worked great.

As to if you can dig out your spring head, I imagine so, though it may be coming out of a rock layer close to the surface.

Hi Edward,

Yes, you can dig it out...but it the area is really arid, and this is a "seasonal spring" that does run dry..."ponding" may only lead to a large dry pit in an arid region like South Africa. If may be better to divert it into a series of below ground cisterns for year round use and protection from dehydration. Do you know the flow rate and if it truly dries up or just stops coming to the surface?

Regards,

j

We have a series of natural springs on our land which feed a year-round stream. I don't know the flow rate yet, want to test it (we've been here just one month). We will also test the water quality. Hoping to put in a spring house to use it for drinking water instead of digging another well. We are also hoping to put in a pond and some swales to a. give us a swimming hole and b. capture and spread the stream flow during large rain events. Right now that water runs through the land and leaves, post haste, via our unimaginative and relatively straight stream.

I'll have to come back to this thread when we have more information... if I'm not hijacking!

Jerry

Jerry McIntire wrote:We have a series of natural springs on our land which feed a year-round stream. I don't know the flow rate yet, want to test it (we've been here just one month). We will also test the water quality. Hoping to put in a spring house to use it for drinking water instead of digging another well. We are also hoping to put in a pond and some swales to a. give us a swimming hole and b. capture and spread the stream flow during large rain events. Right now that water runs through the land and leaves, post haste, via our unimaginative and relatively straight stream.
I'll have to come back to this thread when we have more information...
Jerry

Jerry and others,
I have too two springs in our garden (1 hectar) here in north Portugal, I will see what I can do. if I have information, I will post it.
I will apreciate your thoughts.
I coud not add a attachment of our land in Portugal because it was not in jpg. Sorry
Regards
North Portugal
Benjamim Fontes

benjamim fontes wrote:

Jerry McIntire wrote:We have a series of natural springs on our land which feed a year-round stream. I don't know the flow rate yet, want to test it (we've been here just one month). We will also test the water quality. Hoping to put in a spring house to use it for drinking water instead of digging another well. We are also hoping to put in a pond and some swales to a. give us a swimming hole and b. capture and spread the stream flow during large rain events. Right now that water runs through the land and leaves, post haste, via our unimaginative and relatively straight stream.
I'll have to come back to this thread when we have more information...
Jerry

Jerry and others,
I have too two springs in our garden (1 hectar) here in north Portugal, I will see what I can do. if I have information, I will post it.
I will apreciate your thoughts.
I coud not add a attachment of our land in Portugal because it was not in jpg. Sorry
Regards
North Portugal
Benjamim Fontes

I will try to add my attachment on jpg.
Regards.
Benjamim Fontes

Thanks Benjamin, very nicely done. I have printed your drawing for a good look.

Jerry

Hi Edward-

We bought a piece of property 3 years ago in dry southern Colorado because it had a spring and subsequent small man-made ponds. We could not believe our good fortune in finding something so beautiful. It hasn't all been sweetness and light, however. The ponds are under a large group of Cottonwood trees, and the fall leaf drop creates huge algae blooms. There is no way to get a small excavator in there periodically to remove the layers of anaerobic matter, so the ponds are not suitable for fish due to lack of oxygen. Plus, in flood events, the entire area is subject to huge amounts of silt deposition. I guess my point is to think hard about area water flows and surrounding features.

I understand that when developing a spring, one must be very careful or you can actually force it back underground. I do not know the particulars, but it is an important point to consider. We have two other springs that do not produce well, and one of them has created a stagnant pool choked with cattails and only a trickle of outflow. This was also man-made. We would be better off if the previous owner had left well enough alone.

I hope the next owner will have more ideas about how to best utilize the amazing gift of water that this land has been blessed with. Good luck to you!

Tiki

Edward, I would divert it into a pond that could serve as a reserve water source for dry periods. The higher on your land the better, but you don't get to choose where that existing spring is. The pond could be connected by swales or pipe to areas that you might need the water. With the right plants, the pond should stay aerated and unchoked.

With a separate pond, you could also create a spring house to take off drinking water, first in line.

Jerry