No Water?

[big rockpile]

I'm looking for them to put a stop to Watering.

Right now I run about 3,000 gallons a month just keeping stuff alive.

We live in 6B what can we do? Just let everything die?

Like my Son said we have not had rain in over a year. So far grass is dead and Trees are dying. We haven't really had snow in 10 years.

big rockpile

 

[Meadowlark]

We don't have access to municipal water, fortunately, so no one can tell me when or how much water I use. Our well has abundant water but more importantly to me it gives us complete independence from all Government. I'm looking at going solar so they can't stop that either.

A water well is definitely an alternative. However, if my well failed for whatever reason, we have literally millions of gallons of water in the ponds on this place. The only drawback to that is I have to haul it, which I have done in the past. I have never seen all my ponds dry in about the last 50 years or so.

Catching rainwater whenever you get it is another possibility but only for when it rains. I find rainwater to be the best there is for gardens and have containers set up to catch it.

Other than those, sometimes local schools will allow residents to get water free from them.... or at least they did in Missouri when I was a kid.

Gotta have water...I hope you get rain soon.

 

[big rockpile]

Ok I know of one well going dry and it is 400 foot deep. We can't afford to drill another Well. Looking at $10,000+ to do this.

Collecting Rain Water works if we get it.

We are getting our County Water from a Well. City is getting theirs from two Lakes and they are talking about stopping watering and they have had rain.

They have had rain surrounding us but still say they are in a Drought.

My Son said look at that field looks like plenty of grass but you get out and look at it there is nothing.

Normally Farmers look for 6 months of pasture maybe 2 months tops.

Son said these trees need so much water to stay alive and they are not getting any. If they have any other stress they are dead now. Next year unless something changes all of them will be dead.

big rockpile

 

[pepper]

I use rain barrels and try not to use the crappy chlorine water as little as possible. I am only 2 minutes away from the river so sometimes I'll load up the back of my truck with barrels and fill them up at the river. There is a small scale local farmer who has a giant water container in the back of his truck with a small gas pump that he fills up almost every day back and fourth several times at the river to water his crops. If you are not close to a river or lake or spending a few bucks to have someone dig a pond with a backhoe would be worth it in the long run. Not ideal for a giant garden like Meadowlark has but would do the trick for a smaller one. Especially if you have an ATV to haul it to the garden.

 

[big rockpile]

First off I have no way of hauling plus it is illegal to take out of the river and I can't afford a fine.

Why dig a pond actually right now I have no place to dig one until the Trees die which will be next year.

The only place I could dig later has two lagoons at the head.

Also I spent money on ponds at our farm that wouldn't hold water. I put Hogs in there, used Bentonite. Nothing worked.

big rockpile

 

[big rockpile]

Truth I shouldn't have even asked I might as well face it we're going to lose all our plants. Keeps going we are not going to have drinking water.

Sorry for wasting time!

big rockpile

 

[pepper]

Truth I shouldn't have even asked I might as well face it we're going to lose all our plants. Keeps going we are not going to have drinking water.

Sorry for wasting time!

big rockpile

Sometimes if you refuse to accept ideas and alter them to work for you this is really the only outcome as you answer your own question.

 

[pepper]

The only thought I have is why would you worry if a few trees die now so you can dig a pond and save everything else? Sometimes you have to sacrifice things to gain. But the it's non of my business.. just a thought. Also if you have that much clay in the ground I wouldn't worry about the pond draining like a sink but there are many ways around that even if it did.

 

[big rockpile]

The only thought I have is why would you worry if a few trees die now so you can dig a pond and save everything else? Sometimes you have to sacrifice things to gain. But the it's non of my business.. just a thought. Also if you have that much clay in the ground I wouldn't worry about the pond draining like a sink but there are many ways around that even if it did.

We are talking about hundreds of trees and lots of money just to have them cut.

Know we have a problem and nobody can help so I might as well shut up and let it be.

Got to thinking I know a guy that dug about a 4 acre pound that was good but it is now very dry.

big rockpile

 

[oneeye]

You need to incorporate more drought-tolerant plants with a lot of mulch and water collection tanks. IF you get only 5 inches a year you harvest many gallons of water under your roof eves. It takes some planning but can be done easily.

 

[big rockpile]

You need to incorporate more drought-tolerant plants with a lot of mulch and water collection tanks. IF you get only 5 inches a year you harvest many gallons of water under your roof eves. It takes some planning but can be done easily.

Today long range forecast it was 3 inches of rain. It went down to .5 last night it said .1. Which is the same as nothing.

We just went a little South I was looking one area all the Trees were dead. Know one Farmer North of here that has already got paid for failed crops.

Know one guy that couldn't find Hay and was feeding each day. He said he had no choice but to sell his cattle.

I hear what you're saying on mulch and I'm using some but some said use your leaves. Found this to be a Big mistake. They weren't letting the water get to the plants and they died. So now I'm using Straw. Still watering. My Fruit Trees are getting 10 gallons a day, slow trickle.

Far as catching water I'm very skeptical about putting money out for tanks when we are not getting any rain.

I lived for awhile in the desert and actually got more rain than we get here now.

I know it is a matter of doing something else but it is hard to change and right now I'm freaking.

big rockpile

 

[oneeye]

Today long range forecast it was 3 inches of rain. It went down to .5 last night it said .1. Which is the same as nothing.

We just went a little South I was looking one area all the Trees were dead. Know one Farmer North of here that has already got paid for failed crops.

Know one guy that couldn't find Hay and was feeding each day. He said he had no choice but to sell his cattle.

I hear what you're saying on mulch and I'm using some but some said use your leaves. Found this to be a Big mistake. They weren't letting the water get to the plants and they died. So now I'm using Straw. Still watering. My Fruit Trees are getting 10 gallons a day, slow trickle.

Far as catching water I'm very skeptical about putting money out for tanks when we are not getting any rain.

I lived for awhile in the desert and actually got more rain than we get here now.

I know it is a matter of doing something else but it is hard to change and right now I'm freaking.

big rockpile

This too shall pass.

 

[oneeye]

Everything changes sooner or later friend. I remember past droughts where people went bankrupt right before the rains came. Selling out early hurt worse than the droughts themselves. Everything changes.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

Everything changes sooner or later friend. I remember past droughts where people went bankrupt right before the rains came. Selling out early hurt worse than the droughts themselves. Everything changes.

That's right.
I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s, and every year; it seemed like we had a drought. I remember one summer in particular cause no matter how much we watered, everything died. Papaw keep saying everything runs in like 30 to 50-year cycles; give it time, and it'll change, he said.
And change it did. I've not seen what you could call a drought here in my little valley since 1997.
I'm sure before I get too old to plant all these vegetables like I do right now that'll, I'll see it'll flip also and I will be fighting droughts.

 

[Meadowlark]

I was but a youth not yet dry behind the ears during the worst drought in Missouri history. 1953: Driest year on record. Missouri Climate Center

The lake that supplied the municipal water to Springfield (McDaniel Lake) almost dried up and I could not go fishing there. Wells did dry up, including our family's. We had to haul water from a local school that had a very deep well, deepest and best in the area. We survived as did others.

The drought passed but I still remember the worst drought in the history of Missouri.