clarifying water???

Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by andrew curr, Feb 27, 2014.

  1. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    having some dams de silted!
    The water left over is pretty murkey!
    i was thinking of adding cardboard or straw
    Any ideas
    8)
     
  2. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    What do you think the cardboard or straw will accomplish?
     
  3. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    carbon is your sponge /? Iknow it works 4 algae
    carbon is your friend?
    Perhaps limit evaporation!??
     
  4. Grahame

    Grahame Senior Member

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    I have no idea, if how or why this works, but I've been told that throwing a small bale of oaten straw into a dam will clear the water up.
     
  5. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    might help act as a flocculent. not sure either. it might encourage algae and algae eaters... think i read about the technique first in the first permaculture book. can't reference them now to know for sure...
     
  6. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Well, the PDM teaches to use a silt trap described as a small pond above where the water flows into the pond.
     
  7. Terra

    Terra Moderator

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    It will settle eventually as you know , problem is settling on the edges is continually disturbed by wind forces . Gypsum will help with suspended clay do a search for rates , think about ton per Ha from memory , if you don't have livestock on them plant the edges with something quick growing to trap silt . If you want to clean it up lots for domestic use make a filter out of hay bales on a sheet of plastic and pump through it with your fire pump . I have put dam water in a house tank before when short on water it settles quickly with no external forces .
     
  8. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    Nice!
    I just ordered some Gypsum cheaper fr om Ceduna than from Bourke so i might try some as well
     
  9. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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  10. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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    Whats your objective?
     
  11. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    I bet some species are better than others!
     
  12. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    To make the water more potable for stock!
     
  13. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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  14. jeff

    jeff Junior Member

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    A fluctuating, clay lined dam would be difficult to keep clear from just wind/wave action as mentioned above, without even taking heavy run off events and cattle access into consideration.
    Clays vary in how quickly they will settle and clear in still water, from a day to weeks possibly.
     
  15. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    clay is not harmful. do they show signs of not getting enough water normally?
     

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