I hope to use a feeder. Their are battery powered ones right?
The spring doesn't really flow a great deal more or less with rains. It's not static.... Just a bit faster if it's a rainy month or a bit slower if it's a dry month. Where I would get the water is within 15' of it's start so silt shouldn't be an issue.
I tested the temp of my pond just down hill from the spring at mid summer the water got to a balmy 62 right at the surface 6" down it was 55. The pond is full sun, max depth of around 2' with most of it being 18" 80x60..(It's silted in real bad. and full of organics.) If I had a small fortune I could fix it.. The temps are a concern. But I believe in regards to the reverse. I know the summer temps are cold... Ever wade in a creek to your ankles and have it cool your whole body, the spring is 2100 ft in elevation.. Last night we had snow and today we have a little bit of an ice storm.
My concern is the 50 degree water may be too cold for good growth of rainbows. That's why I'm leaning towards the brookies. It may be too cold for them on average to grow good as well. I can't seem to find much info on that. It's all based on it being to warm.
P.S. before you say it. The pond won't work. The pond was designed for irrigation/livestock watering. It has the spring and field run off. The water level can rise and fall a foot+ in a few days. The numbers I gave you above is it's static level after no big rain for a few weeks. I get a good rain.. like 1-2 inches in a day. It becomes a torrent. The water leaving the spillway will be 6" deep and 8' wide and rushing.. After few days it falls back to it's regular level. I just don't see it as manageable.
