# Creek Cold Storage



## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

We've got this most amazing year round creek on our new place, so I'm thinking of all kinds of ways to utilize it. Spring house, maybe! Anyway, I was curious how cool things could stay in it. I filled a mason jar with tap water, which was 64 degrees, and put it in one of the deeper spots under the shade of a willow tree one morning. It got to 96 degrees outside and the water was still 64--about .2 degrees warmer--when I pulled it out at 5 p.m.

What could I do to improve on this potential? I could dig a hole to make a deeper storage area perhaps. 

I do plan on looking into hydro power soon, because I think we could probably make it work well here, but in the meantime I'd like to experiment a little.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

indie said:


> We've got this most amazing year round creek on our new place, so I'm thinking of all kinds of ways to utilize it. Spring house, maybe! Anyway, I was curious how cool things could stay in it. I filled a mason jar with tap water, which was 64 degrees, and put it in one of the deeper spots under the shade of a willow tree one morning. It got to 96 degrees outside and the water was still 64--about .2 degrees warmer--when I pulled it out at 5 p.m.
> 
> What could I do to improve on this potential? I could dig a hole to make a deeper storage area perhaps.
> 
> I do plan on looking into hydro power soon, because I think we could probably make it work well here, but in the meantime I'd like to experiment a little.


 @John Galt might could help you with the hydro power. Good luck, sounds like you have a great new piece of property.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

My grandfather used to put things in the creek, he always dug down a bit where he was going to put it. He also put a stake in the ground and tied the bag to it. I am sure Slippy could help out with the kind of stake you should use.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I visited a museum farm in Zoar, Ohio once. The old timers had diverted part of the creek to enter the dairy barn. It flowed over a large, slightly tilted stone floor about 4 inches deep. They used it to cool the bottled milk. Ingenius!


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

sideKahr said:


> I visited a museum farm in Zoar, Ohio once. The old timers had diverted part of the creek to enter the dairy barn. It flowed over a large, slightly tilted stone floor about 4 inches deep. They used it to cool the bottled milk. Ingenius!


That's kind of along the lines of what I was thinking with a spring house, only we'd build something special. I thought maybe a cinder block building so it would stay cooler.

I'll have to dig down some and see what it does then. If I could get down to 50 I'd be pretty happy, but 60 is too hot for keeping milk long (I raise dairy goats).


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

indie said:


> That's kind of along the lines of what I was thinking with a spring house, only we'd build something special. I thought maybe a cinder block building so it would stay cooler.
> 
> I'll have to dig down some and see what it does then. If I could get down to 50 I'd be pretty happy, but 60 is too hot for keeping milk long (I raise dairy goats).


Underground temperature (which is the water temp of springs) here in PA is 55 deg F.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I just remembered something. My uncle had a spring house when I was little. It was made of dry laid fieldstone, about 6 foot tall, covered with earth, and had a basin about the size of a stationary tub. He kept goldfish in it, year round.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

Put a rock on a six pack so it doesn't wash away.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

sideKahr said:


> I just remembered something. My uncle had a spring house when I was little. It was made of dry laid fieldstone, about 6 foot tall, covered with earth, and had a basin about the size of a stationary tub. He kept goldfish in it, year round.


That's cool! Did water flow into it or was it packed in? We could maybe divert a small amount to run through a spring house, although I think that's not legal anymore.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Stick said:


> Put a rock on a six pack so it doesn't wash away.


Milk crates all the way!


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

indie said:


> That's cool! Did water flow into it or was it packed in? We could maybe divert a small amount to run through a spring house, although I think that's not legal anymore.


It was built into the side of a hill, like a small grotto. Yes, water flowed in constantly through a tiny pipe. I don't know where the overflow went, I was just a kid then. It was a great place to hang out on a hot day, dark and cool.


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## SGG (Nov 25, 2015)

indie said:


> That's cool! Did water flow into it or was it packed in? We could maybe divert a small amount to run through a spring house, although I think that's not legal anymore.


Who cares, if you are far enough into the country, I would just do it


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

sideKahr said:


> It was built into the side of a hill, like a small grotto. Yes, water flowed in constantly through a tiny pipe. I don't know where the overflow went, I was just a kid then. It was a great place to hang out on a hot day, dark and cool.


That sounds like some awesome memories. A place to let a child's imagination run wild.

I thought maybe a horseshoe shape would work to bring it in and let it flow back out.



SGG said:


> Who cares, if you are far enough into the country, I would just do it


We managed a really awesome place with two really big drawbacks: right on a paved road and a neighbor easement going right smack through the middle. It's totally worth it but does make some things not doable. :/

Almost all this sub-irrigated bottomland.


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