Irrigation advice sought

[blueridge]

I am looking for a good way to irrigate my pastures. I have a large creek and one river that goes through the property. I have a gas powered pump that can retrieve the water from the creek and river but don't know how to effectively get it to the pastures without being watefull. What I mean by that is that the pump delivers several hundred gallons per minute.
Should the water be pumped into storage first then to the pastures or can I reduce the flow enough to run it through pvc to the pastures.
The longest distance from the water source is 1900 ft.
If I can irrigate I would like to give it a try.

 

[Dave]

The first thing I would check is to find out if you can legally pump out of those streams. Water law varies a lot from state to state so you need local advise.

 

[blueridge]

I should have included that we are able to pump from water sources that cross our property. In SC it is classified within the same boundaries of installing lakes.

 

[lead_dog]

I know why you want to irrigate. I'm next door to you in GA and we're thinking of irrigating this year with K-Line pods. Have you looked at those? It's an alternative to the creek. We have a creek too, but this year wouldn't have helped much as the creek is not flowing at all now. Here's a link to the K-Line info.

http://www.k-linena.com/

you can see the video here: http://www.k-linena.com/Movie.wmv

 

[perda04]

Have you looked at the traveling reel sprinklers? 200 gpm will feed one of those nicely.

As an example:

http://www.waterreels.com/PastureIrrigation.ivnu

 

[MikeC]

http://www.kifco.com/

 

[backhoeboogie]

I use irrigation during dry periods. I use the poor boy methods as best I can.

I use the plain old aluminum 4 inch and 6 inch irrigation pipe. It is old. All of it was attained as used. Get some gaskets if you get used pipe. Gaskets are cheap and they are generally dry and cracked in the old pipes.

Most of the sprinkler impact heads that were replaced came off of ebay. Use minimum bids and take your time acquiring them. If they have small delivery jets you can drill them out to a larger size easily.

Your suction line has to be leak proof. You can only lift water approximately 20 feet (dpending on temperature). My pump sits on a temporary platform about 12 feet above the water.

I move the pipe when it is time to move. It is best to water at night to avoid excess evaporation. Small areas are covered with branches off of the main pipe using 2 inch lay flat connected to 2 inch PVC crafted spray risers. The 2 inch PVC is about 4 feet long with a tee in it then it reduces to 3/4 with a spray nozzle on top. I have approximately 1700 feet of pipe with spray nozzles and 800 feet of lay flat with about a dozen crafted nozzles.

During the extreme drought it cost about $35 a bale to irrigate based on fuel cost etc.

You can do calculations for volume, based on GPM, to get inches of water disbursed. I calculated how long it would take to water one premium coastal pasture with 1 inch and it came to 52 hours, based on pump delivery. The pipe had to be moved several times during that evolution.

Rain water has nitrogen entrained within it from the atmosphere. The nitrogen will disburse from the water in what chemist refer to as the "7-up effect" (decaying over time). Water in the river and creeks has already had its nitrogen decayed out of it unless it is fresh run-off. Generally when there is fresh run-off, you have no need to be irrigating in the first place. Anyway, irrigated water is not as good as rain for grasses. Irrigation sure as heck beats nothing. :lol:

If you would like more specifics PM me and I will reply as I get time. I can tell you how to build risers out of PVC pipe in detail. Lay flat hose is the cheapest route if you build the risers. Use the "inside couplings" from Lowe's with two hose clamps for the hose connectors (much cheaper) in between risers.

 

[BusterBrown]

I use irrigation during dry periods. I use the poor boy methods as best I can.

I use the plain old aluminum 4 inch and 6 inch irrigation pipe. It is old. All of it was attained as used. Get some gaskets if you get used pipe. Gaskets are cheap and they are generally dry and cracked in the old pipes.

Most of the sprinkler impact heads that were replaced came off of ebay. Use minimum bids and take your time acquiring them. If they have small delivery jets you can drill them out to a larger size easily.

Your suction line has to be leak proof. You can only lift water approximately 20 feet (dpending on temperature). My pump sits on a temporary platform about 12 feet above the water.

I move the pipe when it is time to move. It is best to water at night to avoid excess evaporation. Small areas are covered with branches off of the main pipe using 2 inch lay flat connected to 2 inch PVC crafted spray risers. The 2 inch PVC is about 4 feet long with a tee in it then it reduces to 3/4 with a spray nozzle on top. I have approximately 1700 feet of pipe with spray nozzles and 800 feet of lay flat with about a dozen crafted nozzles.

During the extreme drought it cost about $35 a bale to irrigate based on fuel cost etc.

You can do calculations for volume, based on GPM, to get inches of water disbursed. I calculated how long it would take to water one premium coastal pasture with 1 inch and it came to 52 hours, based on pump delivery. The pipe had to be moved several times during that evolution.

Rain water has nitrogen entrained within it from the atmosphere. The nitrogen will disburse from the water in what chemist refer to as the "7-up effect" (decaying over time). Water in the river and creeks has already had its nitrogen decayed out of it unless it is fresh run-off. Generally when there is fresh run-off, you have no need to be irrigating in the first place. Anyway, irrigated water is not as good as rain for grasses. Irrigation sure as heck beats nothing. :lol:

If you would like more specifics PM me and I will reply as I get time. I can tell you how to build risers out of PVC pipe in detail. Lay flat hose is the cheapest route if you build the risers. Use the "inside couplings" from Lowe's with two hose clamps for the hose connectors (much cheaper) in between risers.

Could you describe the pump you use for your system? Thanks.......

 

[dun]

Years ago aorund Jimtown in CA they used to use water cannons powered by 4-6 cylinder car engines. They barely ran above an idle. A couple of cylinders where used as the actual water pump and the rest of the cylnders ran like a regular engine. It was claimed that it was really cheap to run them and irrigate that way.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Could you describe the pump you use for your system? Thanks.......

4 inch centrifugal trash pump origially with a Kohler gasoline engine. It is now powered by a small diesel engine. That is what I use the most. I have an old PTO driven centrifugal pump but it is more trouble than it is worth to connect to my source and it pulls too much out of the pool. (pool is shallow so it vortexes)

I also have a 3 inch trash pump (also centrifugal) that puts out about 250 gpm net. It can be throttled down to fill watering troughs and holes.

 

[BusterBrown]

Years ago aorund Jimtown in CA they used to use water cannons powered by 4-6 cylinder car engines. They barely ran above an idle. A couple of cylinders where used as the actual water pump and the rest of the cylnders ran like a regular engine. It was claimed that it was really cheap to run them and irrigate that way.

That's pretty interesting..........I guess some kind of modification to the cylinders pumping water, since they would be trying to compress the water and suffer hydrostatic lock otherwise........... :shock: That modification interests me. Any more info on it? :?:

 

[MrBilly]

We put K-line in this past winter and we are glad we did. Initially we are only irrigating 35 acres using a 10 horse electric pump. It runs 14 hours per day (142 gallons/min) and puts on about one inch of water per week and costs less than ten bucks per day. We pump from a lake with a permit. We are very happy with the system. In fact , the company that sells it is in SC and is BB Hobbs in Darlington. I think we were the second K-line system they installed.

When we looked at travelers, it took a much larger volume per minute and required a diesel engine - it would have been cost prohibitive since the engine consumed $15/hour in fuel. We had to put in a very long electric line at a cost of 5 grand, but that will quickly pay for itself in lower operating costs.

Take a good look at K-line. I like it because the pods are one piece and can't come apart, there are other brands but they are made up of several pieces.

Cost is around $800 per A if you do the work and $1300/A if they do the trenching, set up and test.

Billy

 

[backhoeboogie]

Cost is around $800 per A if you do the work and $1300/A if they do the trenching, set up and test.

Billy

MrBilly, Those electrics are less maintenance also. No fuel trips etc. They seem to last longer. If I didn't have to run over 2000 foot of power to get to the water source, I'd use electric.

 

[dun]

Years ago aorund Jimtown in CA they used to use water cannons powered by 4-6 cylinder car engines. They barely ran above an idle. A couple of cylinders where used as the actual water pump and the rest of the cylnders ran like a regular engine. It was claimed that it was really cheap to run them and irrigate that way.

That's pretty interesting..........I guess some kind of modification to the cylinders pumping water, since they would be trying to compress the water and suffer hydrostatic lock otherwise........... :shock: That modification interests me. Any more info on it? :?:

It's been too long ago for met o recall the details. I was hoping someone from that area was posting and could explain it all better.

 

[BusterBrown]

Years ago aorund Jimtown in CA they used to use water cannons powered by 4-6 cylinder car engines. They barely ran above an idle. A couple of cylinders where used as the actual water pump and the rest of the cylnders ran like a regular engine. It was claimed that it was really cheap to run them and irrigate that way.

That's pretty interesting..........I guess some kind of modification to the cylinders pumping water, since they would be trying to compress the water and suffer hydrostatic lock otherwise........... :shock: That modification interests me. Any more info on it? :?:

It's been too long ago for met o recall the details. I was hoping someone from that area was posting and could explain it all better.

Maybe so.......I remember how to take a v8 and use a couple cylinders to pump air as an air compressor, maybe they were doing this and using to air to drive diaphram pumps to pump the water........ :?: That's about the only I could figger...

 

[dun]

Years ago aorund Jimtown in CA they used to use water cannons powered by 4-6 cylinder car engines. They barely ran above an idle. A couple of cylinders where used as the actual water pump and the rest of the cylnders ran like a regular engine. It was claimed that it was really cheap to run them and irrigate that way.

That's pretty interesting..........I guess some kind of modification to the cylinders pumping water, since they would be trying to compress the water and suffer hydrostatic lock otherwise........... :shock: That modification interests me. Any more info on it? :?:

It's been too long ago for met o recall the details. I was hoping someone from that area was posting and could explain it all better.

Maybe so.......I remember how to take a v8 and use a couple cylinders to pump air as an air compressor, maybe they were doing this and using to air to drive diaphram pumps to pump the water........ :?: That's about the only I could figger...

The water was going through the engine. Don;t recall if it was from shallow wells or from the surface. The manifolds were modified so that only some of them functioned as they normally would. If you could pump air you could surely pump water the same way.

 

[MikeC]

They must be pumping it out the spark plug holes?

Would give you a pump on every stroke too?

 

[BusterBrown]

Years ago aorund Jimtown in CA they used to use water cannons powered by 4-6 cylinder car engines. They barely ran above an idle. A couple of cylinders where used as the actual water pump and the rest of the cylnders ran like a regular engine. It was claimed that it was really cheap to run them and irrigate that way.

That's pretty interesting..........I guess some kind of modification to the cylinders pumping water, since they would be trying to compress the water and suffer hydrostatic lock otherwise........... :shock: That modification interests me. Any more info on it? :?:

It's been too long ago for met o recall the details. I was hoping someone from that area was posting and could explain it all better.

Maybe so.......I remember how to take a v8 and use a couple cylinders to pump air as an air compressor, maybe they were doing this and using to air to drive diaphram pumps to pump the water........ :?: That's about the only I could figger...

The water was going through the engine. Don;t recall if it was from shallow wells or from the surface. The manifolds were modified so that only some of them functioned as they normally would. If you could pump air you could surely pump water the same way.

You can compress air but you can't compress water, it would blow the head off or break the rod / crank before it made a cycle. (Hydrostatic Lock) :shock:

 

[BusterBrown]

They must be pumping it out the spark plug holes?

Would give you a pump on every stroke too?

Must have been rigged with check valves or something like that, seems the water would go by the rings and into the crankcase..........water in the oil, etc............ :shock: I'd be interested in seeing this pump work. I has to suck on the down stroke then blow on the up stroke.......... :shock:

 

[perda04]

Hypro makes positive displacement piston pumps like the 5210. These require a pressure regulator to keep things from breaking.

http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/product.asp?PG=188

Most irrigation pumps are centrifigul which provides much more volume at a lower pressure than piston pumps.