Hopefully the recent switch from La Nina to El Nino Pacific conditions will bring you more rain, Rod. You might be able to drill a well, but that's expensive and the water isn't always best for ponds.
Thanks for the hopeful wishes! (I probably should have left out the drought complaint in my post above, I was really just reporting how easy it is to keep gams! I was a little peeved that the state had good rains yesterday, and there is a big dry area centered around my farm.)
Many areas of Kansas are "oversubscribed" for water rights. Basically, we can direct surface flow of water into a pond, but are not allowed to pump groundwater to fill a pond - unless you have a senior water right.
Who knows, the drought may turn out to be a net benefit. The subsoil water that sits on our clay horizon was always going to complicate construction efforts. Maybe if I could get started this fall, then the dry ground could make life easier!
