Need suggestions for aquifer, water table issue...

[KFC911]

Condensed versoion: Two of my ponds have virtually dried up and my largest "could" if we encounter a real drought in the future. I'm looking for a backup plan as a contengency or other suggestions from the braintrust.

My spring fed ponds "were" being fed by springs (beneath the largest) which has NEVER shown signs of weakness for the 100+ years it's been in the family and though I never measured the flow, it was like turning your garden hose on full....would fill a 5 gallon bucket in short order. The area has been "abnormally dry", but I've seen MUCH worse in my lifetime. When the outflow (from the largest pond) ceased several months ago, it was a REAL wake up call, and I've been monitoring the situation daily ever since. These ponds virtually "floated" on the water table....my great-grandfather's well (adjacent property now and unused for decades) was 24' deep with 18' of water for 60+ years....when I measured it a couple days ago, it only has 11' now, and this confirms what I already knew....mother nature is getting ready to ***** slap that area. Won't go into details, but I suspect the change is due to irrriigation (a vineyard less than 1 mile away) over the past decade. I don't have the means ($) to take on this operation if that's the cause, and due to family considerations, I don't want to become the center of controversy either by getting the community involved.

I was going to rig up a "backup" gravity fed siphon from another unused shallow well 600' away on higher elevation also on my property, but it didn't take long to realize that well was abnormally low too and doesn't "refill" like it used to either.

Soooo....Is drilling a deep water well (probably wouldn't need to be that deep) and using a pumping system a stupid idea? I know this may seem trivial to some, but I've put a LOT of time, effort, and $ into this property, and now my "future plans" have been shaken up a bit to say the least.

Thanks for reading this...I welcome all suggestions and advice!

Here's a pic of my "biggest baby"....still full at this point, but certainly not "bullet proof" from future dry periods either based on what I know now.

[billybek]

Any fracking in the area?

[bpu699]

Sorry to see that...

I do wonder if trying to use a well to fill a pond would work... We are talking about massive amounts of water I assume. The cost to continually run a pump, assuming you have a well that could supply the water, would be prohibitive...

How are the neighbors wells? Others in the county?

You mentioned the farm nearby being irrigated. If its a mile away, thats awefully far to reach your water table. I live 100ft from my neighbor. My well is 30ft deep, his is a 100, in order to reach water...

Good luck.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by billybek

Any fracking in the area?

No

Originally Posted by bpu699

Sorry to see that...

I do wonder if trying to use a well to fill a pond would work... We are talking about massive amounts of water I assume. The cost to continually run a pump, assuming you have a well that could supply the water, would be prohibitive...

How are the neighbors wells? Others in the county?

You mentioned the farm nearby being irrigated. If its a mile away, thats awefully far to reach your water table. I live 100ft from my neighbor. My well is 30ft deep, his is a 100, in order to reach water...

Good luck.

I most certainly can't replace mother nature's springs output (assuming they recover), and would only use a deep well/pump as needed when/if I see the largest pond's output cease. I'm just brainstorming here....

The USGS has no monitoring in that county, and due to "family considrations", I haven't divulged this to anyone except my closest neighbor (g-gf's well) this past week.

FWIW, the vineyard is next to a spring that was just a bit stronger than mine....used to be the "go to" spring for farmers 75 years ago during droughts according to my dad. That spring is totally dry too, and I can see the pipes leading up to the vineyard above it.

Keep the ideas coming guyt...appreciate it!

[ckissick]

I'm a licensed hydrogeologist so I know a little about this stuff. The shallow water table has dropped and springs have dried up. This can be due to a drought or by over drafting from wells. Has well activity in the area increased substantially?

At ranches in California, it's common to use wells to feed stock ponds. You could drill a deep well and see what kind of flow you get. A wind mill and/or solar panels could defray the electricity costs. There's a lot to study and I don't know nearly enough to say much about it. You should consult with a local hydrogeology consultant, if the family will allow it.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by ckissick

I'm a licensed hydrogeologist so I know a little about this stuff. The shallow water table has dropped and springs have dried up. This can be due to a drought or by over drafting from wells. Has well activity in the area increased substantially?

.....You should consult with a local hydrogeology consultant, if the family will allow it.

Thanks Charlie! Well activity is probably less than it's been forever....most houses built in the past few decades are on "county water" and legacy wells have been discontinued for many.

I just learned a new word today Doubtful if any exist in that county and though I'm willing to go this alone (and no one can "stop" me), I respect my elderly relatives enough to refrain from "initiating an uproar" over this matter. You've given me "hope" however....thank you!

ps: The vineyard and another irrigation operation a few miles away are relatively new (10 yrs or so)....

Droughts have NEVER impacted my springs before now fwiw...

[ckissick]

Changes in aquifers can be a very slow process. It happens, literally, on a geologic time scale. Maybe it's a collection of droughts over decades, combined with the less than normal aquifer recharging between droughts. I think consulting with a local expert is the way to go. He or she might already have seen this problem in your area and know what's happening.

[KFC911]

Thanks again Charlie! I suspect those springs have been producing a nice flow for at least 4-6K years based upon native arrowheads, etc. that one of my uncle's gathered from plowed fields in his youth (and date back to that era). We've had a couple of REAL droughts (the last back in '07 I think), but this summer....just dry. I
may pursue your suggestion if I can find a local expert, but like I told my uncle, the springs are probably NEVER going to regain their former flow. If that is indeed the situation, you've given me hope for protecting my "babies". That land and those ponds are "in my blood" so to speak

[sammyg2]

Where does the county get it's water?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Where does the county get it's water?

Good question Sammy....all the one's I'm familiar with pull their water from lakes which are fed by rivers or run off in this area. Don't "think" they're pulling it from the aquifer, never heard of such, but I dunno. Like many counities around here....once rural, now suburbia encroaches .

[gtc]

Exactly what I was going to ask.
My grandmother's house has always been on a well, and many years ago when the local water district installed a new well and pump station a mile or two away, the water quality went way down.

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Where does the county get it's water?

[Arizona_928]

I know Obama has been trying to take the water rights away from the states that feed major aquifers. Might be something to look into.

Some counties don't allow misuse of the well water either ie. if you plan to fill a pond, golf course, ect.