Digging reservoir in shallow stream

[dnoyeB]

Still trying to find a cheap way to power my lawn sprinklers. Presently I a thinking about digging a big hole in the middle of the 1" shallow stream that runs along the side of my property through the trees.

Im wondering if this will attract mosquitoes which I already have a big problem with. (though the magnet is kicking ass this year)

Also, I am wondering how quickly it will fill up with dirt? Should I line the top edges with rocks or something? Is there a name for this so I can search the web for info on it?

Thanks,

CL

[HeyBub]

1. Sounds like it will work.
2. Mosquitos don't do mosquito things in moving water.
3. Big hole.

[hallerb]

a friend built a small 1 foot high dam, after finding stream bed wasnt diggable by hand

[HeyBub]

That would work if you did it by night and disavowed any knowledge when the environmentalists come complaining about obstructing a navigable waterway.

They did that in my neighborhood over a bayou that the only thing capable of navigating the flow was a very old alligator.

Held up construction of a power plant for a number of years...

[dnoyeB]

There are no water animals in this thing. Its basically storm runoff. There are the local land animals that walk through it but nothing can live in it.

I dont really want to damn it up but I suppose thats just as well as diggint it down. Ill start by digging. Well see how it goes...

[HeyBub]

Doesn't matter. It's enough if an animal COULD live in it, accidentally ever DID live in it, or even THOUGHT about living in it.

Well, there you are. It's a MIGRATION ROUTE! Or could be a migration route. Or maybe once was a migration route...

I wish you luck. But, for God's sake, don't TELL anybody.

[trader4]

I agree. Compare all the potential problems, pitfalls, possible environmental laws involved that you may not even be able to get a straight answer to, etc, and I don't see why anyone would do this instead of having a simple, shallow irrigation well drilled.

[dnoyeB]

can I get 18GPM from a shallow well? Im trying to make use of the water I already have which is 10GPm, thats all.

Nothing can live in this thing ever. Well, there are frogs and mosquitoes. Im not going to change it enough to cause anything significant. Furthermore, I already spent a month digging out bricks and glass bottles and old rusty hot water heaters and all sorts of other garbage that was clogging it up.

As I understand it, we have an obligation to maintain water that passes through our property like this. If I ignore it I can get into trouble as well. All I want to do is take a sip every now and then :)

Oh, and have a little fun...

[HeyBub]

Someone will ask whether this water ever did, or could, be involved in interstate commerce. If you use the water from this creek, you obviously will not be using water that traveled in interstate commerce, thereby (negatively) affecting interstate commerce and thereby giving the federal government oversight responsibility for your actions.

You've already admitted to channelizing the water concourse (by removing obstacles) and, according to chaos theory, may have precipitated another hurricane hitting New Orleans (not that that would be a BAD thing).

You're courting courting. And I don't mean the type Froggy does.

[GoHabsGo]

"HeyBub" wrote in

too late

[GoHabsGo]

"HeyBub" wrote in

too late

[trader4]

Why do you need 18GPM? I thought you were using this for lawn irrigation with a sprinkler system. A typical rotary head nozzle rate for residential is 1 to 3 GPM. If you have 3 heads per zone, that's 3 to 9 GPM. Given your house has plenty of water around and a sump pump constantly running, a shallow well should be able to provide that.

[Caesar Romano]

No, damming can be more trouble then digging down. A flash flood or heavy rain can wash out the dam. I would try digging down first.

[Bob F]

You can get 18gpm from one or more shallow wells. Have you read the Brady PVC well point installation instructions yet?

[hallerb]

during a water shortage a friend used a pump to water some new plantings in his yard. the police came and threatened him with arrest.

he continued watering and said go ahead arrest me you will make the news.

the police just left, not wanting the negative publicity.

the tiny stream was on his property and breeding mosquitoes in a tepid pool.

[dnoyeB]

6 heads per zone. 5 zones. I suppose I could divide the zones by doubling the valves.

[dnoyeB]

well as I have said, I read reports on people being fined for modifying streams and reports for people being fined for not maintaining streas that cross their property(specifically in MI)

[dnoyeB]

I try to state how siplistic this is and that it wont affect anyone but people are dead-set on me creating soe kind of environment changing thing. my sump is 10GPM. this strea is like 2GPM. its just smup water from all my neighbors

if i build the reservoir next to my house it will reduce the stream significantly. building the reservoir next to y house has already been cleared by the inspector...

storm situations of course are different.

[dnoyeB]

This idea is concluded. I took a shovel in there to dig deeper and was instantly chased out by a swarm of mosquitoes. Even with copious amounts of repellent...

[Bob F]

during a water shortage a friend used a pump to water some new plantings in his yard. the police came and threatened him with arrest.

he continued watering and said go ahead arrest me you will make the news.

the police just left, not wanting the negative publicity.

the tiny stream was on his property and breeding mosquitoes in a tepid pool.

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What was the complaint? Illegal watering during a drought? Or taking water from the stream?