JACK Report post Posted September 21, 2011 Suppose you happened to find a seep that looked similar to this is not a river running out of the mountian by any means but it is flowing...and it is the middle of summer and the area has gotten very little rain...What would you do just to caputre and hold a little water? I have a few ideas just curious what some of your thoughts would be... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AntlerObsession Report post Posted September 21, 2011 It all depends on how much time and effort you want to put into it. You can just dig a hole where the water can pool up, or you can go all out! If it were me, and I had a sWeeT spot like that, I would want to do it right. Hike a small foldup shovel and a 60-80 lb bag of lime in, dig down to expose as much water as the "bedrock" would allow, and then build a retaining wall, using the lime with the available rocks, "sand" and water. You could also get into using the available rocks and gravel to filter the water as it comes in to minimize the silt that builds up in the bottom of your spring. I can provide drawings, evaporation charts, and water flow measurements if you really want to get technical. Finding a seep like yours and developing it into a reliable water source is just a small part of my Antler Obsession! You know what would also be cool? Put a trail camera on it now, take notes on what/how many animals hit it as is, then do your improvements, and record if there is a marked difference. What a cool science experiment! BTW, I envy you! The Good Book says not to covet, but even He might take exception to the sweet spot you have there! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JACK Report post Posted September 21, 2011 There may be a camera on it already... I was thinking the same thing...pretty sure the seep is already on the bed rock and there is a pretty good place to build a dam...looks like it stays pretty shaded...is there anyway to "tap it" to control the water flow? Either that or I thought about chipping a channel in the face of the rocks... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted September 21, 2011 I would do nothing to the bedrock where it comes from- just make a dam below it and clear a small area for a pool. other than that leave it alone. I always love seeing that clump grass growin in a stream bed- I had a similar spot on the edge of a canyon - everytime i visited it i'd dig -out- move a few rocks , widen / re-enforce the dam a little - then just left it alone- reminds me i should go check on it. been a couple yrs. - lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AntlerObsession Report post Posted September 21, 2011 There may be a camera on it already... I was thinking the same thing...pretty sure the seep is already on the bed rock and there is a pretty good place to build a dam...looks like it stays pretty shaded...is there anyway to "tap it" to control the water flow? Either that or I thought about chipping a channel in the face of the rocks... You are right to consider options to concentrate the flow. It is always difficult to do, but the more you can concentrate the flow, maximizing water in and minimizing water lost(seepage, runoff, evaporation, etc.), the more reliable the water source will be. How to do that is always site specific. You just have to get creative sometimes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
