moving water

[Sparticle]

I did a search for water and it seems the search isn't working.

We have a rapidly moving, pretty deep creek. We have no piped water at the property where we are going to build. We are going to start planting trees as soon as they arrive, probably April. I am trying to figure out the best way to get the water to the trees that will need it.

I've looked at Ram Pumps online, but I don't have a source of water above. There is going to be a slight incline from the creek to where the trees are. It's a pretty good distance too, maybe 200-300 feet away from the creek.

Of course I'm looking for something large that will hold water and that could be put in a wagon to pull behind the tractor or a sled. I hope I can get some of those huge metal milk containers, though I'm not sure what they are called so I haven't found any yet.

I know there is a way to run water up an incline without power, I thought it was the Ram pump till i looked into it. So other than hauling one load of water at a time, does anyone have any better ideas?

[rambler]

Is your local or state govt particular about using water from a waterway - some are, some are not, I'd make sure I know before going fruther. While you probably would get by dipping out water a noisy ram pump or gas engine would draw attention if it is not allowed....

Ram pump should work with the rapidly flowing water - to be rapid, it must have some fall to it.

A waterwheel can run a pump, but are a bit to construct & make work right!

Solar pump - costs a bit, but not so bad if you plan to use it for a while. Run a hose to where your trees are, fill a large container there on a high point, then you can let gravity flow the water down to the tree(s) you wish to water. A cheaper solar pump will move a little amount of water, but do it every time there is sun shining, so you will get a lot of water in a day, even if it looks like you would grow roots waiting for a 5 gal pail to fill from it...

Hand pump?

Gas engine & pump.

12v electric pump & a battery - would need to recharge the battery depends on how much water you need.

I'm assuming electric 110 or 220 is out of the question.

What is the distance from the creek to the trees? How much water do you need?

(Edit - 300 feet, you said plain enough!) Three garden hoses will reach that, most pumps can _push_ water real well & that far, but some can't lift it real high if this is going up a steep hill all the way or something..... You would have to look at the head rating of the pump, and figure out the vertical distance you need to move the water.


Milk can? Lot of plastic jugs available these days, little easier to deal with sometimes. A couple 55 gallon barrels with a hose plumbed in the bottom, fill by the creek, tow them where you need the water, let the hose flow water. Only need to handle the water 1 time filling, not manhandle to dump out again.

I'm sure many other good ideas will come.

--->Paul

[THETOOLMAN]

check the nat. guard army surplus, ect. find a used water buffalo. they are cheep & made for water

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by Sparticle

I did a search for water and it seems the search isn't working.

We have a rapidly moving, pretty deep creek. We have no piped water at the property where we are going to build. We are going to start planting trees as soon as they arrive, probably April. I am trying to figure out the best way to get the water to the trees that will need it.

I've looked at Ram Pumps online, but I don't have a source of water above. There is going to be a slight incline from the creek to where the trees are. It's a pretty good distance too, maybe 200-300 feet away from the creek.

Of course I'm looking for something large that will hold water and that could be put in a wagon to pull behind the tractor or a sled. I hope I can get some of those huge metal milk containers, though I'm not sure what they are called so I haven't found any yet.

I know there is a way to run water up an incline without power, I thought it was the Ram pump till i looked into it. So other than hauling one load of water at a time, does anyone have any better ideas?

Well, I am no expert on the laws of physics, but it seems to me that there must be some way since people have been doing it for centuries in places like SE Asia and Egypt.

I would do some serious googling on "appropriate technology". There are lots of low-tech alternatives out there. I don't know if you would consider manual labor to transfer the water, if so...google "Rope and Washer Pump".

donsgal

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by donsgal

Well, I am no expert on the laws of physics, but it seems to me that there must be some way since people have been doing it for centuries in places like SE Asia and Egypt.

I would do some serious googling on "appropriate technology". There are lots of low-tech alternatives out there. I don't know if you would consider manual labor to transfer the water, if so...google "Rope and Washer Pump".

donsgal

oh sure, manual labor is fine, just looking for the best way to do this. also i have to find out if we can do this legally like one of the posters mentioned. I'll go read on the rope and washer pump. thanks.

[marvella]

carrying buckets of water is by far the most sensible and low cost way to do it.

you could conceivably rig something in which each tree gets it's own bucket. fruit trees need long, gentle, soaking rain. to grow good deep roots it needs to sink in instead of running off. for each tree you could rig a bucket with a drip hose running off it to slowly seep in over say 24 hours. depending on where you are and how much rain you can expect would determine how often you'd have to fill those buckets. once a week during a dry spell does it here for me.

a gas generator would do the job. but if your neighobrs are anything like me, i'd be upset at having the sound disrupt my rural peace and quiet, even if it is only once a week.

[watcher]

Do a google search on spiral pump. That's one option. Another would be a simple undershot water wheel or a submerged submerged turbine.

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by watcher

Do a google search on spiral pump. That's one option. Another would be a simple undershot water wheel or a submerged submerged turbine.

Dh says to check out a SLING pump which sounds a bit like the spiral pump you mention here.

donsgal

[Sparticle]

I have a lot of googling to do today, wonderful!

[Collinsfarm]

Just curious, do you have a tractor with a PTO? If so, there are pumps made to attach to the PTO.

If you could wrangle a large tank of some kind and set it up above elevation from the trees, you could fill the tank and then pipe a drip irrigation system down to the trees. Good luck.

[texican]

If the elevation difference isn't higher than a stepladder, I'd consider tying a bucket into a tree, or building a tripod frame, to hold a bucket (six gallon or so, barrel would be even better...), drill a hole in bottom of bucket, put in a 1" inch male pvc fitting from the bottom, (the hole just large enough for the threaded part of the fitting to fit through) and from the inside of the bucket, put a one inch female pvc fitting on to the male fitting, and tighten... might have to add some silicone to seal the hole... then attach your 1" pipe to the bottom bucket fitting, and run pipe to your garden orchard. Take three or four gallons at a time up the stepladder, dump in bucket, and water will eventually make it to the garden. Bucket has to be higher than garden of course... Heckuva lot easier than hauling water in buckets... been there, done that...

Of course if you don't want to do all that lifting on a ladder, you could set a post same height as bucket, tie a rope on top of post, set a long pole to swivel/pivot on the post, with a bucket... swing bucket over creek, fill bucket... swivel post (with full bucket of water) over to your plumbed bucket and dump it... hard to put into words... but third worlders have lots of similar systems.