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  • From: Wendy & Randy Gray <hoemangray AT earthlink.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>, market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Irrigation pump info
  • Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 12:38:18 -0700 (GMT-07:00)

Bill - we pump from an irrigation creek, so have a bit of experience!  We learn something new each year! Our source is glacial runoff from Mt. Hood, which gets more and more filled with silt and small particles as the summer goes on!  I can't yet use drip because I haven't invested (yet) in an effective media filtration system.  I do have an inline filter at a point in my system where most of the mainlines converge.  Right now I'm cleaning it at least daily!
 
At the creek, our pump is mounted on a platform that extends out over the creek.  The intake valve is attached to a 4" piece of styrofoam that allows the intake valve to rise and fall with the level of the creek.  We also attach a piece of screen netting around a round tomato cage that is attached to the end of the intake valve - this helps reduce the gunk a lot! The foam fell off 2 weeks ago and the intake valve was on the bottom of the creek...so we kind of fried the pump because of the gunk that passed through it...expensive ugh!!
 
We pump uphill - 115' rise, plus about 3500' of main line with a 1 1/2 hp pressure pump - not a volume pump - using 1 1/4" pipe...not 2"!  Oh, for gravity fed irrigation...wishful thinking!  But, I do have water!
I don't remember the type of pump we have, but a reputable irrigation design company should be able to assist you!  Our initial foray into irrigation ended up with us using a submersible pump...BIG mistake if you have any particles in your water!  We have the pump rebuilt every 3 years or so, which helps its life!

Hope this helps!
Wendy - z6ish - OR

-----Original Message-----
From: Willfindley AT aol.com
Sent: Aug 1, 2005 11:03 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Irrigation pump info

Greetings, List,
I'm looking for information on equipment required for pumping water from a small stream that runs through our property. There are no legal problems in taking the water. Would like to drip-irrigate about 2 acres. The stream is just a leetle thing usually, but it  changes to a pretty strong stream with each passing storm here in west-central AL, rising several feet. It does have a current all year long, though it drops to a very low level in dead summer for a few weeks. Need to lift the water about 10-15 feet and pipe it about 100 feet through some woods to the field. I assume I'll need a filter (pretty sandy creek-bottom) and a storage tank. I plan on talking to the guys at Irrigation-mart eventually, but would appreciate any pointers from y'all before I go there, as far as brands, experiences both good and bad, etc.
Yipes, gotta go till the beans before those dark clouds get here.
Thanks a lot,
Bill



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