This ole place got lots of rain the last few days,I could'nt be happier about that,hay fields are bouncing back from near death and the pastures are looking good.............now the down side, roads and water gaps,would have liked the rains to be more gentle but I aint complaining,I got several places in the road to fix and got a few water gaps to repair,I think about three strands of wire with a solar charger is the fastest easiest way to go on these water gaps,unless you got into setting pipe deep in concrete and had a swinging hang gate,then debris collects under them and seems like one ole smart cow learns how to work them,what 's your ideas on water gaps ?........................good luck
WATER GAPS
- Thread starter HAY MAKER
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kolanuraven
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2005
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Here in the sunny south of Ga....we set something equal to a power pole on each side of the creek.....and use either a whole of half ( already busted up) part of a galvanized gate. We string the gate on about 3 or 4 pieces of steel cable that is pulled taut and anchored to a tree or better yet a steel stake driven about 3'-5' in the ground.
The gate is higher than the water level but low enough to stop cattle. And ,yes they will collect clutter with a big rain....but 99% of the crap just passed under.
So far we've not had one escapee from the water gates....now having said that I'll go down there this PM and meet half them hussies in the road!!
The gate is higher than the water level but low enough to stop cattle. And ,yes they will collect clutter with a big rain....but 99% of the crap just passed under.
So far we've not had one escapee from the water gates....now having said that I'll go down there this PM and meet half them hussies in the road!!
Cowpuncher
Well-known member
It would sure be nice if we were out fixing water gaps!!!!!!!!!!!
No rain since October and the streams are nothing but memories.
In the unlikely event it rains a bunch, we have about 6 water gaps that wash out. We have a corner post on each side of the gap and use old wire in the hope that it breaks without tearing anything else.
This winter, we have lots of weeds, mostly Russian Thistle in the gullies and when it rains, it takes the whole fence with it. In one location of the Big Sandy Creek, the thistles are piled up 20 or thirty feet deep and there is no way of getting rid of them except letting them rot.
We checked the brands on several of them and they have Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Colorado brands so its not easy to tell where they came from. But a big gully washer will take them away along with a bunch of our fence.
No rain since October and the streams are nothing but memories.
In the unlikely event it rains a bunch, we have about 6 water gaps that wash out. We have a corner post on each side of the gap and use old wire in the hope that it breaks without tearing anything else.
This winter, we have lots of weeds, mostly Russian Thistle in the gullies and when it rains, it takes the whole fence with it. In one location of the Big Sandy Creek, the thistles are piled up 20 or thirty feet deep and there is no way of getting rid of them except letting them rot.
We checked the brands on several of them and they have Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Colorado brands so its not easy to tell where they came from. But a big gully washer will take them away along with a bunch of our fence.
theHiredMansWife
Well-known member
The lesser half came up with a perfectly brilliant idea I thought. (Though he hasn't needed to implement it yet this year).
He only has one water gap to worry about, but exactly your complaint, anything that hangs off the fence ends up washing out the fence when it piles full of debris when the water runs.
So he's going to hang an old propane bottle off the bottom of his fence. Most of the time, when there's no water, it'll just hold the fence down. When the water runs high, it'll float.
We'll see if it works...
He only has one water gap to worry about, but exactly your complaint, anything that hangs off the fence ends up washing out the fence when it piles full of debris when the water runs.
So he's going to hang an old propane bottle off the bottom of his fence. Most of the time, when there's no water, it'll just hold the fence down. When the water runs high, it'll float.
We'll see if it works...
the_jersey_lilly_2000
Well-known member
We have a neighbor that has a cable across his water gap with pvc pipe (4 inch) with holes drilled in it and it hangs from the cable......lots of pvc but it's been there for goin on 20 years and I've never seen him hafta replace any. Everthang that washes down the creek just pushes the pipe up and it goes under....they are hung verticle. And it aint so ugly to look at either.