A spring popped up in my yard

[zoomzoom]

Back in about January.
I've measured the flow and it's been pumping over 7000 gallons/day ever since.
I ran some 4" pipe to keep it from flooding the yard which has helped.
Wish I had a use for it. So far, its outfall has been enough to fill an Olympic size swimming pool... twice.

 

[Caribou]

Is there a waterline anywhere near you? Don't let CA find out about your spring they'll claim it belongs to them.

 

[Pearl]

Bottle it and sell it!!

 

[Hooch]

That is awesome! What a score..I keep hoping a hot water spring presents itself close by within walking distance..lol..

 

[zoomzoom]

There is a water line. I've tested the water and no signs of chlorine so it's just a spring.

Bottling it would be an intense job.

Not awesome in my book. It just created a mess for me.

 

[Hooch]

Oh bummer...yea I guess if it's too close itd be a hassle..my area just over the mountain south east of me has been having small aftershocks since a larger quake a few years ago. This area especially around the little river and its smaller creeks have hot springs all over. A few are convenient enough that a few businesses have developed them into nice soaking spaces..others you have to take a drive n hike to.
I love the hot springs here! But probably not in my yard..

 

[zoomzoom]

This isn't a hot spring. Just clean, cold water pumping out of the ground.

 

[Caribou]

It sounds like too much of a good thing to me. Is your area known for sinkholes? Do you have a septic tank?

 

[zoomzoom]

Our general area does have sink holes, mainly from mine subsidence.
We do have a septic system but it's not related to this spring. At 7000 gals/day, that's more than we use in a couple months.
Water is plentiful around me so I don't really need it.

 

[Tootsie]

I’d be so tempted to put in a pond and stock it with fish.

 

[Neb]

Our general area does have sink holes, mainly from mine subsidence.
We do have a septic system but it's not related to this spring. At 7000 gals/day, that's more than we use in a couple months.
Water is plentiful around me so I don't really need it.

I measured my 2 developed springs producing 6000 gals/day.



By developing those sprigs...



I was able to dry out the yard which had always been a muddy quagmire. Well worth the effirt for me.

Idea:

Use the water to drive a ram pump.

I had a 12-15' drop from the collection point to the pump and it developed enough pressure to pump water 50' above to pump. Spring water is about as good as it gets. There were a few springs along the road going down into Johnstown PA were people would fill up jugs.

Since you didn't notice it previously it may be seasonal. Western PA has had a lot of rain lately. My springs slow down in late August to a trickle. But they do run year round and keep my pond from icing over even during the polar vortex a few years ago.

Ben

 

[sonya123]

Can't you use it for water (pipe it to your house) ? What do you use now? We have spring water ( our spring produces about 15000 gal /day and supplies 8 families)

 

[Neb]

I’d be so tempted to put in a pond and stock it with fish.

A spring fed pond can keep dish alive over winter.



This video shows the pond in winter. Check out the hoar frost on the pond at the end.



Ben

 

[zoomzoom]

Can't you use it for water (pipe it to your house) ? What do you use now?

We already have 2 wells and 2 city water connections plumbed in. As Ben stated, it could be seasonal so it's not a reliable source.
We used to have a pond in the yard that this would have been perfect for feeding. Pond is gone and don't want to dig a new one.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with Plan A which is to just let it flow into the creek.

 

[Spikedriver]

It would be fun to use it to generate a little power. Might not be practical, but it would still be fun...

 

[Magus]

7000 gallons a day... wow! rent tankers and sell it to farmers!

 

[Bacpacker]

What I wouldn't give to have a spring pop up. Sorry its causing you a problem

 

[Neb]

What I wouldn't give to have a spring pop up. Sorry its causing you a problem

It is a blessing yet ro be counted.

Ben

 

[zoomzoom]

It is a blessing yet ro be counted.

Ben

Very well may be but I haven't figured it out yet.
I already have 2 wells and 2 city water connections for the houses.
The spring is well below the grade of and very far away from the gardens.
My time to work on it is pretty limited right now. Have been working on normal Spring (the season) chores. Have been vacationing a lot (3 weeks away from home this month). When returning from vacation, need to get the rest of the garden in.

 

[Biggkidd]

I would play with it and see if I couldn't use it to my advantage every way possible. Sounds like it could be a power and water source if the work was put in.

 

[zoomzoom]

I would play with it and see if I couldn't use it to my advantage every way possible. Sounds like it could be a power and water source if the work was put in.

That's what I still haven't figured out. For a power or water source, I have a creek running through the yard, less than 100' from this spring and the creek has a significantly larger water flow.

 

[Biggkidd]

Well if you've got it use it the best way you can.

 

[Caribou]

I have a piece of property with a stream. I always thought an undershot wheel would make a beautiful way to generate power. I have never built on that lot.

 

[viking]

It is a blessing yet ro be counted.

Ben

Absolutely, a lot of people are going to wish they had extra springs around, we certainly do, things have really dried up around our area in the last year, our spring overflow has really slowed down and I'm trying to add storage tanks when I can. Usually at this time of year our lower field is so full of surface water it can't be driven on but I've been mowing and there is no place that has broken through the soil, on the other hand, we've had just enough rain to grow the biggest crop of weed grass, enough to stall the mower a few times, anyway I'm hoping to finish mowing today as I want to keep ahead of a light rain we are supposed to get today. The rain and snow we usually get during the winter just didn't really happen so we may be really low in our spring outflow this year.

 

[winds-of-change]

Let it form a pond if you have the room.

 

[winds-of-change]

Let it form a pond if you have the room.

Stock it with fish.

 

[Neb]

Stock it with fish.

Agreed but...

If the spring is seasonal the pond will become a mud hole.

Wait until August to evaluate the spring.

Ben

 

[SheepDog]

Yes, by all means make a puddle on your property so some freak from the government -epa- can declare it a wetlands area.

 

[zoomzoom]

Here's a pic of part of my yard (prior to the spring popping up).
Just behind the trees on the left is the creek.
The spring popped up just on the right side of the pic, about 3/4 of the distance of grass away from where I was standing.
The garden is behind me, up a bit of a hill.

 

[zoomzoom]

Well, as of yesterday it quit flowing. Rain today but once it dries a little, I'll finish the work of diverting any new water that comes out into an underground culvert that's close by then fill in the holes.