PCViking
Lutefisk Survivor
Not far downhill of my house in the woods, is a crotch in the land. In that crotch are 2 springs (approx 25 feet apart) that merge to form a brook. The normal flow is light, without taking measurments the guestimate is over a liter a minute.
I've tried planting wasabi and jewel near the spring heads only to have them washed away (and lost somewhere downstream) in bad storms.
What I want to do is cap the 2 springs, each with it's own cistern and overflow pipes: one horizontal and the other vertical (an old style pitcher pump on top). Then build a small spillway-dam at a choke point about 60 feet down the small valley. The stream already has crayfish and frogs, so why not raise the waterlevel and add some fish?
Has anyone done anything like this? Searches on the internet yeild general ideas, but lack specifics. Such as the mechanics of building a cistern in a wet environment. Should I build in a drain valve at the base? What diameter pipe is best? Where is the optimal pick-up? Should I use screen/mesh? against the earth wall(hillside)? The ground is typical Appalachian topsoil with rocks. I read once that if done properly a cistern is secure from critter infestation and due to flow - self purifying. Of course I cannot find those plans.
A neighbor has a spring he uses for bonus drinking water. I'm confident mine would be as safe as his if done properly. It would also be fun to have a fish pond for the grandkids.
I've tried planting wasabi and jewel near the spring heads only to have them washed away (and lost somewhere downstream) in bad storms.
What I want to do is cap the 2 springs, each with it's own cistern and overflow pipes: one horizontal and the other vertical (an old style pitcher pump on top). Then build a small spillway-dam at a choke point about 60 feet down the small valley. The stream already has crayfish and frogs, so why not raise the waterlevel and add some fish?
Has anyone done anything like this? Searches on the internet yeild general ideas, but lack specifics. Such as the mechanics of building a cistern in a wet environment. Should I build in a drain valve at the base? What diameter pipe is best? Where is the optimal pick-up? Should I use screen/mesh? against the earth wall(hillside)? The ground is typical Appalachian topsoil with rocks. I read once that if done properly a cistern is secure from critter infestation and due to flow - self purifying. Of course I cannot find those plans.
A neighbor has a spring he uses for bonus drinking water. I'm confident mine would be as safe as his if done properly. It would also be fun to have a fish pond for the grandkids.