water collecting / dam

Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by hedwig, Sep 12, 2005.

  1. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

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    hello, we are making a concept how to water our community-garden. I wonder if it is possible to collect sufficient water on the site which is rather huge. We have no roof to collect.
    I read about dams and I did not understand very well: are the dams to collect water freom a creek, form the surrounding site or is it the surface of the site which collects the water?
    Where can I find technical information on the net about constuction, surface, climate and administrative aspects?
    You can put fishes and plants in that dam and what do you do when the dam falls dry?
    I hope getting some information!
     
  2. baldcat

    baldcat Junior Member

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    How big is the site ? Sounds like a good little project.. Dams can be used in many ways and normally have more than one source of water.
    1, Channel filled
    2, Run off (roadways etc)
    3, Overflow (Tanks off sheds)
    4, Spring fed, and Bore fed.
    5, Catchment area (Using the natural flow of the land)

    In your case you may have to consider many options. Run off, Overflow, Catchment area.
    If you will be building a garden shed,/ and or shelter. The roof could be used to feed the dam also. Placing the Dam on the lowest point of the land also would be an advantage, allowing you then to channel the water catchment from rain fall through your garden back into the dam.
    *Note I am no expert though, only going on experience..

    Currently our footy club has secured land near the football over. What we have done has gained approval to collect 1 half of the towns street run off. We have placed a dam on this land which after to rains is nearly full. From here we pump it to a holding tank where it is then pumped into the ovals watering system. YAY.. (Our town only has 7 streets) For the first time in history. we may have a green oval for the cricket season..

    Anyway here is acouple links to get you started..

    https://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/dams-storage/e57.htm
    https://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/fisheries/420-011/420-011.html
    https://www.greeningaustralia.org.a...page_id=664&host_id=1&query=Dams&hiword=DAMS+


    Hope this helps a little.. The first link is probably the best regarding construction
     
  3. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    g'day hedwig,

    generally dams are used to collect catchment water not generally built across creeks or seasonal gullies, those conditions need special expertise.

    not sure that you would want storm water run off from the roadway? but that's something you will have to research maybe collect samples and have some testing done.

    another question you might want to check out is if there are properties below the dam that could be affected if/should the dam wall fail. your local council should provide that answer. i know of people in close to city rural blocks who can't put in your normal packed earth dam because of this problem or envisaged problem.

    len
     
  4. derekh

    derekh Junior Member

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  5. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

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    thanks, much to read..
    perhaps instead of building a dam we could dig a hole, we're many people.
    I read first the links..
     
  6. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    just another thought hedwig,

    if you are in the city environ you may have to install pool type fencing as well could be a costly project?

    len
     

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