Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Wells going dry

The post was originally intended to spark some dialogue regarding the importance of water as a resource and how it will impact all of us in the future, especially the recreational users as they likely fall on the bottom of the priority list. Lusk routinely expresses concern how this will impact the pond management industry, and our collective interests into which we've poured significant resources. It was never my intent for this to become an ethical debate on whether we should be utlizing irrigation to protect our interests or aquaculure businesses, but these things happen - no big deal. IMO - I don't believe we collectively understand enough about the nature of aquafers to reliably ascertain the impact our water use has on others, either. Brief example - when drilling test holes for my wells 5 years ago the distance of 300 feet on my farm made a huge difference in the availability/volume of water. One hole was 20, the other was nearly 50. When we found 50, I decided to buy the land and begin my pond projects. Wells may run dry without any influence of neighbors water use as this example suggests it's a very finite area one's well pumps from. I don't believe I'm sucking groundwater from acreages a half mile away...if they run dry, it's not through my influence, it has everything to do with the nature of their own highly localized water source. I'm not trying to defend the use of irrigation during times of drought, merely raising the point that I don't believe our use of water necessarily effects wells that surround us in as large an area we might have originally believed. Until we understand the nature of aquafers and wells to a better degree I think we're prematurely making moral/ethical judgements, which again I never intended the post to assume that tone.

That said, I fully appreciate, respect and SHARE everyone's consideration for their neighbors well being. I remove dozens of trashbags of litter along the roads around my neighbors ponds, and have stocked their fisheries for free and lend all the pond mangement advice I can pro bono. It's the right thing to do! Also agree water is a shared resource, and in times of short supply should probably be used only to keep fish alive and businesses going. It's a founding principle of our Pond Boss community - educating us to become responsible stewards of the land and water.