Originally Posted by FishinRod
Do you have any artesian springs at elevations above your pond? Building a spring box and running some piping would be much cheaper and lower maintenance than a solar pumping system.

Do you have another draw/ravine on your property that is adjacent to your pond? If so, you might consider building a second pond (or lined pit) there. You could use it as a grow out pond during normal conditions, and then during a drought seine it and pump the water to your main pond to supplement your more important pond.

Do you have rural electricity on one of your property lines? If so, they may be able to set a small transformer and charge you a small monthly fee for electricity. You could put your groundwater well near that location, and then pump the water to the pond. In general, water piping is much cheaper than electrical line these days. Also, the frictional pressure losses in the water line are much less than the electrical losses in a long run of wiring.

Unfortunately I don't have any springs near the pond, or a draw, other than where the pond is.

I checked on getting electricity and it's $4000 just for them to drop it across the road, $7000 if I put it where I'm wanting it.

Originally Posted by FishinRod
If you have a contiguous and highly permeable groundwater aquifer on your property, then the water level should be roughly equal across the property. In that case, do you have a low spot of ground near the pond? If so, that might be a good location for your well and solar pump. If the land surface is close enough to the groundwater level, you can make your own large diameter well. Also, a much shallower well makes your work installing and maintaining the pump that much easier.

Good luck on your supplemental water project!

I have a perfect place for the well about 20 yards from the pond. There used to be a windmill there. I don't know how long ago it was that it worked, we've owned the property for 24 years and it was abandoned before then.

Several people in the area use a sand point and drill wells by hand. My well for my cattle, which is on the other end of the property a half mile away is only 22 feet deep so I suspect I would not have to drill very deep. Our storm shelter by the house which is on a hill, between the pond and the well, will get about 4 inches of water coming in from the bottom. it's not far to water anywhere on the property.

2 Acre, Completed July 2022, CC,BG, Sept. 2022, LMB June 2023, GSF, YBH invasion in 2022. BG, CNBG, RES, 2025, TP seasonal.