How to determine size of aquifer that feeds wells or bore holes?

Hi guys, i am going to buy a new farm, all the alternatives have wells but how do i know the size of the aquifer that feeds the well on each farm?

How do you do it in your country?

Andre Lemos : You may be able to get a General idea about how healthy your Aquifer is by two simple tests. The 1st one requires you to pump out the water in your well -Which will

give you two good numbers; How many liters to pump it out And how fast your well refills to allow you to pump the same volume again !

These are things you should be able to do yourself. Then you will have to do some detective work, I would try to do sit down meetings with local well drillers and ask them about the

local history of wells -both in units pumped and their recovery time. I would also ask about wells in your region that failed and/or needed to be re-drilled to deeper depths !


Alternately you may be able to find someone at your Local University in the Geology Department who knows who to contact to get that information !

I hope this is timely and useful - For the Good of the Crafts ! Big AL

Andre L. : might this help ? ///// Link below :



http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Aquifers


For the Good of All The crafts ! Big AL

Allen, Thank you for the input.

I'm inclined on buying a 3 ha farm with two wells. This year we had the 3 droughtest year in the last 100 years and both wells on that farm (without use) were dry last September. What do you make of this? Do you think it's a big risk buying it?

Wells are not digged any more, the ones i've seen are all decades (at least) old, everyone goes for boreholes now. I should find a pump to do the refill test and the university tip is a good one, thanks.

Andre Lemos : Yes it is risky! Have you done a Permiculture Design Course PDC, do you know who Geoff Lawton is Or Sep Holzer ?

How much previous Farm related experience do you have ? The presence of existing ground cover and the extensive use of Swales on Contour

and other water impoundment practices MIGHT recharge your shallow Aquifers (Dug Wells ) and add months to a growing season, but only

Hands-on farming will tell you what is possible .


I am totally at a loss to advise you on resources you might contact to get good answers ! Big AL

I know their work, Holzer's climate's not the same as the one we have here and i don't like the idea of swales fitting in all designs. Improving ground cover, windbreaks and tree shadows should improve infiltration and reduce evaporation but i wonder what amount of water that saves... thanks for your inputs Allen

Swales may not be useful in all climates, but I think they would help in a dry climate that gets occasional rain. Aside from catching what rain falls and keeping it on/in your land, the roughness it gives the terrain would reduce evaporation from low (moister) parts of the surface and possibly allow some plants to thrive where they would not on flat open land.