Spring Development

An often overlooked farm water supply is the spring. Springs, when developed, can provide an excellent and plentiful source of clean water. Spring development costs are relatively cheap compared to water wells or dugouts. Pumps and electricity are not required unless you have to pump uphill. Excavation is at a minimum, and landscaping is inexpensive.

Materials required to develop springs are usually on the farmsite. A culvert, some PVC pipe, concrete mix, local rock and gravel, and an old tractor tire, along with the availability of a small backhoe are all that's needed for spring development in most cases.

Environmental Enhancements

Place a fence around the spring and pipe the water to a nearby water trough keeps livestock away and reduces contamination of the spring water. It also stops cattle from trampling the soil around the water source. A spring development is also an excellent watering hole for wildlife during the winter. Where springs are developed at higher elevations, riparian and grazing management are more easily accomplished.

A more complex development, such as a concrete, galvanized steel or fibreglass enclosure, should be used to prevent contamination of water for household use.

Managing Spring Resources

While nature determines the spring flow, it is possible to increase available water by managing the resource. Over thousands of years nature has found ways to spill all the water flow available and so development at a spring site will not increase the total water flow available. However, usable spring flows can be increased by reducing water used in other discharge areas such as nearby cattails, bull rushes, trees and shrubs.

Small flows can be effectively developed. For example, a seep of 4.54 litres per minute (1 gal./min) will water 96 beef cattle if storage is used.

Properly developed, a spring will have a long, low maintenance life, and be a valuable asset.

Development Steps

• Monitor the flow of the spring (annually, seasonally) to determine the flow rate. Check with local historians/neighbours to note how the spring flows especially in drought periods.
• Measure the flow rate during the period of intended use. Determine if the flow rate will meet daily requirements and provide for peak use periods.
• Contact your local PFRA office for technical advice about spring development, and possible financial assistance.