Solar powered water pump

This past July I experienced some difficulties with our current bison water source that convinced me of the need to install a well at the ranch.  Since we first introduced bison to our pastures, we've relied on what is commonly known as a limited access point method for water.  A limited access point is simply a small section of a stream or pond into which the pasture fencing extends.  This allows the animals enough space to drink the water, but not enough room to go for a swim.  It is largely considered a more ecologically sound than giving the animals access to the entire body of water (which is definitely true for cattle). 

The bison taking turns using the limited access area of the pond for water during a dry spell last year.  Having only one permanent source of water can have a negative impact on the pasture immediately surrounding the access area as is visible in this photograph. 

Generally the limited access point method has worked well for us, but at one point during this past summer, the the drainage system of the pond began to malfunction and the water line of the pond lowered several feet over the period of a few days.  This was a little disconcerting as it raised the possibility that the bison could loose access to their water supply, and, if they lost access, it would not be long before they decided to create a new access point by destroying the fence.

The pond's drainage system, as well as the pond itself is largely a mystery to me.  It is an embankment pond constructed several decades ago by unknown people using unknown standards and was probably originally meant to serve as an irrigation reservoir.   It is fed by a natural creek and an is supposed to be prevented from overflowing by a rusted metal drain pipe embedded in the embankment wall.  The very old pipe is 12 inches in diameter, but normally only drains a very minuscule amount of water because it has apparently been thoroughly plugged up with branches and mud.  This causes the water to run over the top of the embankment, which places the dam at risk of being washed away in a flood.

In a effort to stop the bison's water supply from draining away completely, I spent a number of weeks attempting to figure out the cause of the problem so I could fix it permanently.  In the process of attempting to diagnose the problem I inadvertently stopped the leak.  While stopping the leak was a good thing, not knowing how it started to begin with was a bad thing because I have no way of knowing when it could start leaking again.

Faced by this potential future water crisis, Jess and I decided that it would be a good idea to invest in a well.  The process for establishing this new water source wasn't too terrible, but did take some time.  Part of the reason it took so much time is that each subsequent step in the process depended on the outcome of the previous step.  For instance, to order the proper solar well pump kit, I needed to know how deep and productive the well would be.  I wouldn't know that information until the well was dug and a visit form the well driller needed to be scheduled many weeks in advance.  However, I couldn't even schedule a visit from the well driller until I had a state health inspectors permit and that required a scheduled visit to the site from a state health inspector. 

With the well dug I needed to quickly install something to keep the bison from messing with it.  I sunk three posts around the well and strung a rope around the posts.  My bison seem to be distrustful of something like a rope suspended horizontally (not a recommended permanent solution).  This was later replaced by an electric fence.

The solar well pump kit I ended up ordering was the K170SR4 pump kit from a company called Sun Shine Works.  The company's owner, Ron, was very knowledgeable and helped me find the right kit for what I needed.  Everything was sent to me promptly and the available information made installation proceed smoothly.

The water pumped from this well will eventually flow into a buried cistern which will provide water to several watering tanks via underground tubing.  In this photograph you can see the hole I've started digging for the cistern.