# Increasing flow of a natural spring



## CraKaLaCKiN

I have a natural spring on my property that has created a small creek that eventually dumps in to a larger one about 1/2 mile away. I don't know how many gallons per minute is coming out of it but it's not a whole lot. It does stay 'wet' year round. 

Q1) how do you measure the flow rate (GPM)?

Q2) can a well company come in and drill/bore and increae the GPM?

I'd sure like to increae the flow and dig it out and make a swimming hole. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?


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## skiff23

The water from this spring is controlled by ground water table. I ahve several on my land. A well driller would not help. You can possible dig into the spring head and open it up and it will flow freely. If the water table drops it may quit all together. Just a chance you take. I have seen springs that never quit and I have seen them run 2 or 3 months a year based on the water table  and how much rain we get.


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## rjcruiser

As far as measuring GPM, get a 5 gallon bucket and dig out a little spot in the creek and see how long it takes to fill it up.


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## watermedic

you can measure the flow rate by calculating the area of the stream. Height times width. Then use a float and determine the amount of time it takes to travel 10 ft.


So if the stream is 2 ft wide and 1 ft deep, a one foot length is 2 cubic feet.

if it takes the float 30 seconds to go 10 feet then you have a velocity of 20 ft per minute.

20 ft/min X 2 ft3= 40 ft3

40 ft3 X 7.48 gal/ft3=299.2 gallons per minute


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## SGADawg

My grandpa had a spring on the farm that he used to water the cows.  He would blast it out with dynamite every couple of years to keep it flowing.  I don't guess that is possible these days.

Eventually, he dug an irrigation pit about 40' wide by 100' long and 15' deep.  Coldest, clearest water I ever swam in.

Digging it out is an option, especially if it flows year-round.


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## j_seph

watermedic said:


> you can measure the flow rate by calculating the area of the stream. Height times width. Then use a float and determine the amount of time it takes to travel 10 ft.
> 
> 
> So if the stream is 2 ft wide and 1 ft deep, a one foot length is 2 cubic feet.
> 
> if it takes the float 30 seconds to go 10 feet then you have a velocity of 20 ft per minute.
> 
> 20 ft/min X 2 ft3= 40 ft3
> 
> 40 ft3 X 7.48 gal/ft3=299.2 gallons per minute


Civil Engineer????


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## 7Mag Hunter

Uncle had several springs and each year he would dig down
into the springs several inches to remove sand...water flow would
increase over the next few days.....
His "spring heads" as he called them contained mostly sand and the
water was crystal clear and very cool.....I suspect water came
from deep underground and his springs and creeks flowed the same all the time.....


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## Wild Turkey

ive pot holed them before with good results. Using a backhoe.
Especially in farm ponds. Makes a great bait holding and spawning area. On hot summer days the big bass will go there for the cooler water,


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## watermedic

j_seph said:


> Civil Engineer????



Nah,

Just a nerdy waterboy!!


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## Lilly001

There is a sticky on the Waterfowl forum you should read. 
Messing with water probably requires permits and such and can be pricey if you ignore them.


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## calibob1

I know Ca. has the most stringent rules for water any where,but here if the spring runs off your property, you can get in a bunch of trouble messing with it.


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## SASS249

Lilly001 said:


> There is a sticky on the Waterfowl forum you should read.
> Messing with water probably requires permits and such and can be pricey if you ignore them.



x2 for Georgia.  This is REALLY not a situation where it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.


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## Milkman

When I was a kid we had a place on the farm where two short gullies came together.  Each gully had very minor springs in them.  The did form enough water to make a small creek though.  My Dad had someone to come in and dig out the area where the two gullies met and made a pond of about 1 acre. 

Both springs dried up within a year.  I think if he had gone further down stream it may have made a difference.  Changing the water table or the pressure on the springs can make a difference.


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## Artfuldodger

Lilly001 said:


> There is a sticky on the Waterfowl forum you should read.
> Messing with water probably requires permits and such and can be pricey if you ignore them.



Besides the sticky everyone should read this link about a couple who jumped through all the correct hoops to build a pond and still got threats of fines by the EPA for polluting t the water with dredge material.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/19/feds-target-private-pond/ 

 "In a follow-up letter to the EPA, Vitter and his colleagues have asked for, but so far not received, clarification of the potential fines involved. They say their reading of the EPA's Administrative Order leads them to believe the Johnsons could potentially be subject to as much as $187,500 a day in fines."


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