Skip to content

Water Management Solutions for Farms and Ranches

Farmers in West Canada often need storage facilities to store fresh water for their livestock or as a backup for irrigation from streams or rivers. When it comes to farm water storage, these farmers have a few options available. 

For example, ponds or dugouts are often the sole source of water for a farm, but it's also possible to have larger storage options like reservoirs or dams that can be used for irrigation or to supplement stream or groundwater supplies.

It's important to keep in mind that, during the growing season, the chosen storage facility must be big enough to provide all the water required for the farm for the entire season.

It's also important to remember that any water storage facility, whether it's a dam or a pond, needs a water storage license. In some instances, for example, where the pond is fed with run off coming only from the farm, a license may not necessarily be required, but if the water supply is diverged from a watercourse, a license is needed.

This post will look at the different options that farmers have available and what to consider when choosing the appropriate water storage solution for the farm.

Dams

Dams are often larger than ponds, but if a farmer considers building a dam to store fresh water, there are a number of things that should be considered before the decision is made.

For one, the farmer must consider the feasibility of the project. In other words, consideration should be given to whether the benefits from the water storage will be greater than the costs of building the dam or the transport of the water from the dam to the fields.

It's important to keep in mind that a dam should be designed by a professional engineer. The engineer will typically design the dam to avoid being constructed on unstable soil. In the design, consideration should also be given to how far the dam is from the field and what its elevation is. This is because it could have a significant impact on the construction costs if pumps are necessary and roads need to be constructed.

In respect of the reservoir component of the dam, careful consideration should be given to whether the volume of the reservoir is adequate for the farmer’s existing and future water requirements.

In respect of outlet control structures and spillways, these should be properly designed to make sure that they are situated optimally and fulfil their purpose adequately. In short, by properly designing all the components of the dam, headaches are eliminated later on, and money is saved.

Ponds

Ponds are often smaller than dams and therefore more affordable. Despite this, there are also some important considerations when choosing a pond for a farmer’s water storage needs.

The first thing that should be considered is the nature of the drainage area. In other words, some areas may provide the best drainage areas while others may cause impurities such as mud, salt, fertilizer, and herbicides to seep into the water.

Farmers should also carefully consider the location of the pond and make sure there’s an optimal flow of water into the pond.

Here, the topography of the pond is also important because this can affect evaporation and the accumulation of water depending on the season. Also, ponds located in courser silts or sands will tend to leak more and will require sealing to prevent excessive seepage. Here, an HDPE pond liner is an effective solution and can reduce seepage, while preserving water and reducing maintenance.

In respect of distances, the pond should be located as close as possible to the area where the water will be used because this will reduce the cost of piping or transporting water to the site. Likewise, ponds should be located as far away as possible from sources of contamination that could contaminate the fresh water in the pond. hdpe containment liners

Aboveground storage tanks

Aboveground storage tanks are useful to store water as a rain harvesting system. The biggest benefit to using aboveground storage tanks, are that they can be constructed almost anywhere. 

Some of the other benefits of aboveground storage tanks include:

  • They are easier to maintain. Because they are located above ground, they allow easier access for repairs and maintenance, but because of this, they can also be more vulnerable to damage in some situations.
  • Easy to install. Aboveground storage tanks are typically easier to install than the underground variants and they are much easier to install than constructing a dam or pond.
  • Large variety. There is a large variety of tanks available on the market and they vary in size, shape, and style and can be chosen depending on what they will be used for.

Although they have several benefits, there are some disadvantages to using aboveground tanks. As stated earlier, they are more vulnerable to damage because they are exposed to the elements. Also, because they are above ground, they typically have a much lower volume than other storage solutions. In other words, aboveground water storage tanks can limit the amount of water that is available.

Underground storage tanks

Underground tanks are typically chosen by farmers who want to save space compared to aboveground storage tanks. Like the aboveground versions, though, they also have several advantages and disadvantages.

The big advantage with underground water tanks is that they save a lot of space compared to the aboveground variants. This also means that they are not affected by extreme weather conditions and, as such, are typically not as vulnerable to damage as aboveground water tanks. This also has the added benefit of making them more safe and secure from vandals and other elements that could damage them.

The main disadvantage with underground tanks is that they cost a lot more than aboveground tanks. This is simply because, to install underground tanks, a pit will need to be excavated and extra plumbing will have to be installed to pump the water from the tanks to above the ground. 

Also, if something should happen with the tank and maintenance needs to be done, they are more difficult to work on because they are underground.

The Bottom Line

Water storage is a vital part of any farming operation. Farmers should, however, give careful consideration to what solution they will use depending on their needs, requirements and budget.   

Hopefully, this guide was helpful to illustrate some of the options available. 

hdpe containment liners

Leave a Comment