Finding a Water Spring or Seep

 

I have several springs less than a block from my house that go back to the colonial days.  A group of us spent several weekends digging out and restoring one of them. As time went on people stopped using it and caring for it. I am sure that is true with many old spring spots.

We first had to get all the growth away

 

Then we had to clean away all the dirt build up and replace stones and add new ones to make it a new ones to make the place more special. 

  

and the end result was well woth it!!  And a trail sight for the local park now. 

 

The question for me was,  if there is one there may be more. 

 A quest to find a spring that no one is knows about.....Which I have found.  

As scaling the side of the mountain outside my door (with my metal detector looking for historical do-da's) I came across a spring. SHHHHHH I did not dig it out,  but I do have a few things in the house to tap into if the time came.

Water Spring

Water Seep

What is a Seep?? A seep is the "mini me" of the spring. It is just a small rouge spring from a spring. 

But how do I know it is a spring?

Here are a few things to help you spot one.( I have found several) 

• Best time to find a spring is in the dry part of the seasons.  Making most of the ground dryer and allowing you to spot an overly moist area much more easily.

• Find a wooded area with some elevation...and go about mid way up. Now look around for a run off area (it may look like an old river bed/ ditch like areas). Note diagram below

One min. video on how to find a spring....it is this simple.

As in this above video follow the dry steam indentation, notice that the area will have more mosses growing around it. It may even have river bed like rock but that is not always the case. 
One thing is you may even have better luck spotting one in the winter with a good freeze because the water may be more obvious. 

• Once you have found what you believe to be the source start to dig a hole.  You want to make sure the hole fills up with water. If it does you most likely hit a spring.  And can start making it more functioning. Or you can let it be and just remember were it is if you ever need it. (which is what I am doing) 

**Reminder just because it is spring water does not mean it is ok to drink. If you can not test it then treat, better safe than sorry.

This is not a how to video but it is pretty self explanatory on what needs to be done to make the box (ponding area) for the water and setting the pipe. 

This is a playlist if you want to watch the whole thing.

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The song for this post has to be Box of Rain - Grateful Dead