Quote:

---

Now I'm curious again, is that well electric or is it a windmill? If it's a windmill who takes care of maintenance and stuff like replacing the leathers? They ought to be able to give you some idea of how deep your water table is and if there is something like an aquaifer under the entire ranch. Maybe give you more information if it would be better in the long run to drill another well.

If you can get a well in on a high spot you can go a long way with gravity flow to water troughs. Just random thoughts.

---

Quote:

---

I have a buddy who get these 300 gallon tanks from his company that previously held oil or antifreeze. His dad washes them out really well and they rig them up to troughs and that's how they get water for the deer. His dad keep two of them at the house and every few months throws them in the back of his truck and fills them up. He has a sub pump connected to a car battery he throws in them to transfer the water to the ones at the lease. If I go down to help them move all of their gear this year ( they got a new lease) I will take pics and post them for you.

---

Quote:

---

On digging a water hole, the best mix of sand and clay(sandy loam) is about 60/40 or 65/35. If you get too much clay, it tends to crack on the sides and dam which causes leaks .However, I like the idea of having at least 2 ft of well compacted clay on the bottom. The loam needs to be just wet enough to stick together. You can't pack it if it's too wet or too dry. One way to check the content is to get a ball of it and throw it against your pickup door. If it stays together pretty well, it should hold water. Dozers do a pretty poor job of compacting soil. That really begs for a sheepsfoot roller. Most leakers are caused by improperly compacting and not being cored. Coring is a huge factor.

Wells are virtually useless to fill or even keep water in a tank or pond. One acre, one inch deep, is 27,000 gallons of water. Take a look at the evaporation rates for your area and see whether you can make a difference. Assuming that you can pump 10 gpm, you will replace 14,400 gallons per day or about 1/2 inch per acre. Of course, that assumes that your well can continously supply 10gpm and also that you can afford the electricity. Bottom line is that you can seldom break even in Texas.

---

Quote:

---

First I'd consider whether it's a lease or you own the property, you may have stated that and I just missed it. Second is how big the property is. If it's a smaller tract I'd run a water line off the well at your cabin a little ways away and buy a trough and a float. That would be your cheapest option. Deer will water right next to the house, they've been doing it at all of our places all their lives. Depending on the type of soil a tank could be a good option. But in my experience, colliche doesn't always hold water. A good clay soil will do well. However, if you build a good tank and get it in the right spot chances are it's going to cost you more than $2500 in dozer work.
JMO

---