I know this is mainly pond issues but I live along a creek and want to draw some of the water out of the creek to water the area of my back yard along the creek. I use city water and an irrigation system for my front yard but want to do some drip irrigation or sprinklers for the back. The area is heavily wooded and we are growing a lot of ferns, mountain laurels, and other plants. Where would I get information on how to draw the water from the creek and do I need a holding method before applying the water?

There are many dealers of pumps and filters which should be usable to remove water from a stream. I believe you would want to put a filter on the intake to prevent sediment/plants/small animals from clogging your lines or the pump. One such dealer is Stoney Creek Equipment , which is where I got the filter I use on the intake in my pond for livestock water. I use a gravity feed system through a 1" line to a freezeout hydrant below the dam, but in general their filters are designed to go on intakes to pumps. You should be able to get some ideas from their website and from the Pond Boss resource guide.

I would say that depends on what kind of pumping system you get - I have a 110volt pump sitting around which I would use if it were me that is a "plug in while you use, run it into a garden hose" kind of setup. I also have shallow and deep well pumps which are hooked up to bladder/storage tanks and are controlled by pressure switches - the shallow well pump could definitely be used for your back irrigation. I'm sure there are other possiblities as well.

You MAY need to check the legality of removing water from the stream (?). I am pretty sure that if you were in the desert Southwest, someone would have a problem with it. In Georgia, maybe no problem.

DO NOT check the legality of using the stream water! It is your riparian right (look it up if you don't know the term) to use the water as you choose. And in Georgia, if you ask a question, the answer is NO! Trust me on this. I'm up to my wallet on this issue.

Jersey definitely has the experience on this (pretty much all bad).

Jersey, I guess this means you still do not have pemit for pond construciton? I feel for you. Thought about holding some cattle? THe agricultural permit is easier to obtain. The cows need water to drink you know and you can always change your mind about them after the pond is built.

Goofy, You are legally supposed to have a permit to draw the water. However it seems it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Again if you say it is for agricultre it is easier to get permit for drawing water.

My property is already zoned agricultural. The answer is still NO. The Corps said I could use a trough for my cattle. (If I had any) And my 22 acre planted pine forest does not qualify as agriculture.

If I hadn't asked permission, I would now have a big, beautiful pond. Now all I have is a muddy mess where I cleared.

I have hired a high-dollar engineering firm with hopes that they will "impress" the Corps. The head engineer that is doing my project is wanting to build a pond of his own, so he is pretty motivated to make mine happen. We'll see.

A friend of mine has bought some property, built his lake, and it is almost full while I have been #%@&ing around with the Corps. He was smart enough to not ask permission.

Goofy,

Wish I had a live flowing stream....

When I was much younger, I saw an article on a self powered pump that uses the stream current to pump water. I think it was called a trumph or troump or throumph pump (don't remember the spelling). I do remember the plans were a built it yourself and perhaps came from Mother Earth News.

If you have strong enough currents, the pump will take in water and pressurize an air chamber, at the proper pressure, it switches a valve to allow the water to be discharged, slow but 24 hours a day.

Anyone out there with information on this old pump?

Good luck,

Here ya go:
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/irrig/Equip/ram.htm

try www.riferam.com. The "slingpump" might work.