Then Lynn began locating wells for family members, neighbors and friends. When the willow twists, the part pointed forward and upward suddenly pulls down toward the ground. Accuracy? I need help. He does this every day he works and with 100% accuracy. One of the oldest methods for "finding" (or claiming to find) groundwater is called dowsing or water witching. I will try it this spring. My dad would swear by the witching sticks. Being a plumber by trade and having a father that was also a plumber; I can tell you it's a crap shoot. I think it has to do with magnetics.when I worked in an IBM machine room I hacd to wear an antimagnetic watch to keep time. He had a neighbor come down and check it and he found the same spot and said there would be water at about 30-40 feet and plenty of it. #4. There are usually only two levels, because Ive located where they cross. I can walk across a field using the wire. This information is very useful in determining the probability of drilling success on a nearby property. I read about a technique using what was referred to as a bobbing stick to help determine the depth of to the water and then the depth of the vein of water. Alternately, glue several cotton reels together into a cylinder. If it stops going side-to-side and starts bobbing again, you can count the bobs to see how deep it is (when it stops, There are usually only two levels, because Ive located, where they cross. Said Id try. My mom uses a forked willow branch. Even tried over water bed & wands turned out. I am a 4th Generation Water-witch. When the grateful rancher paid him, Lynn realized his services were valuable. It is 65 feet deep, just at bedrock. He was right. I can't do it. I go out with my #9 piece of wire and hop in their pickup. Remain still after it stops bobbing and the stick will start to move side to side. Do you think any one of them could agree on a location???? That well driller didnt believe in water dowsing originally but now calls me whenever someone wants him to drill a well.. I have never tried the Y stick. I use a wire bent at a 90 degree angle. The dirt . You can also use apple or peach branches for water dowsing. Some people use hazel wood, but it doesnt grow where we live. Kind of like some people have success wearing copper bracelets and such. Theres just not that much luck to be found. Found many underground veins with it. You dont always know whats under the ground. I wont lie to them if I feel I dont recognize a water vein. The rod is usually a Y-shaped forked branch, the forks making a sort . On the spirtual side of this however Grandpa was descended from a Scotsman. Then the rods look like this: . I use welding rods first, to see if theres water, and where, or several possible locations on the property, he says. Some wells have been less than 100 feet. This tree, and its root system, seeks water. Regarding these igneous and limestone areas, geologists and hydrogeologists believe that there is no scientific basis for a dowser or a dowsing tool to have the ability to select a location where a drilled well will intersect subsurface fractures or small caverns. Our well depths in our area vary from 60 ft to 400 plus and can be from a gal/min to enough to run an irrigation well. It can and does work. However, there is one study, conducted by the German government in the 1990s, that perplexed the scientific community. Numerous witchers showed up at his place, all claiming mystical powers to find water. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023. Next time I try for water I am using science, geology, not BS. He was right every time. True Story. She has said if there is flow. Looks like a lot of potential millionaires amongst us *****I think he has passed on now but there was a guy named James Randy, who used to appear on the Johnny Carson Show. Usually, this is accomplished with the aid of a dowsing stick, rods or a pendulum. An excellent article, Amber Kanuckel. I have seen his fingerprints on something in a few minutes. He was never wrong and always found water. He handed me his dowsing rod, which was a forked copper wire, and it worked! How to Dowse for Water. Seen my grandfather do it hundreds of times. The willow gives you a feel for how much is there. The well water was so hard that most people had trouble with it especially with washing clothes. I can find buried waterline & tile using 2 welding rods, -the flush, bent @ a 90 angle. The people buried there are relatives of his. Using a Y branch from a peach or willow tree, he "witched" over 100 wells over the years with a 95% success rate. Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, claimed radiations (radiesthesia), gravesites, malign "earth vibrations" and many other objects and materials without the use of a scientific apparatus.It is also known as divining (especially in water divining), doodlebugging (particularly in the United States, in searching for . People who dont believe in it sounds just as ignorant as not believing that the fungal network plays a massive role in natural forest health. Call Number/Physical Location. Going to try another well drill very soon. There are numerous verses in the Bible about asking the rod for answers. I never had any trouble getting it to work by myself just picked up the Y shaped branch, held the 2 short ends tight like you described, and walked. Dont know anyone who ever used it for bombs, gold etc, but seen it work for water. Better to pay a dowser so you at least haves reasonably decent place to try. I had a well driller witch a location and put a rock about as big as my fist at the location in the grassland area, he said get a second opinion from mr Powell, I called him, he came, I told him I wanted a well somewhere in that 2 acre area, he stumbled around as he was about 90 years old, using about 8 ft of a grape vine in a horseshoe shape, he said you see that rock, your best water is about 1 ft from that rock and 3 tiers of water, the well proved to have 3 levels of water per the driller. I had a small tractor with a backhoe on it at the time. I acquired the skill and it workssometimes. Does it work to find overhead power lines? Then he showed me how to determine depth to drill. I know nothing but have always suspected it has something to do with an individual's electrical charge. Daylight Saving: When Does the Time Change? This is why many people hire a dowser. The ends of the forked branch are held one in each hand, with your wrists and palms facing upward, and the stem of the Y pointing straight ahead and slightly upward.. He was a whiz on that. Funny thing that none of the witchers ever told him there was no water on his place, nor did they offer to pay the driller who drilled the dry hole at the chosen site.Have you ever known a witcher who wandered a place and then proclaimed there was no water to be found?Long story short; he finally dug in a cistern and hauled city water from about 15 miles away. Most drillers maintain a file of the types of rocks penetrated and the amount of water produced for each well that they have drilled. Geologists may have an idea, but this still doesnt tell you where the seams of water might be, he says. He ended up finding a spot and told them definitely enough water in this spot for an irrigation well. I seem to find them occasionally with the backhoe ?? Other historical images that appear to represent dowsing are found in the temples of Egyptian pharaohs and in ancient Chinese etchings. Mar 22, 2015 #4. Although she passed away in 1989..Ive grown up on this well as Ive lived here since and its where I grew upknock on wood, I hope it holds up for the rest of my life! I'm not sure about electrical but probably so. The well driller can keep going, and you can tell him roughly how deep it might be. If they ever failed to find water (or pipes) no one talked about it. I've an uncle that can do it. The practice continues to be used today, in some cities in Canada. I moved to a rural community from Chicago in the early 70s. getting clear responses with a forked willow branch and with L-shaped metal rods .more. They found an old hand dug tile. Remove the innards and caps of two cheap plastic pens, then thread the wire through the pen body. I dont know why this is still discussed. I can do it but only with bare brazing rods for whatever reason. The depth is what I need for wells. One of the most comical things Ive ever witnessed, him shuffling around my yard and whenever his wires got crossed, stomping one foot on the ground and with absolute confidence Dig HERE!10 minutes later with a probeno luck. George's water well thread got me thinking about it..I too am planning to drill a well in the near future. Perfect for watering our gardens. Sometimes, the towns are really far away so you're out for eight hours and you make $200 . This gives a solid base of support to hold the willow securely and firmly as you walk slowly over the area to be checked. An old well striker gave me the cut coat hangers l shaped said walk around. It doesnt work on a tap. It will go left and right when I get over a line. Winter Solstice: When is it, and What is it? Ive never tried finding a water vein for a well. These areas often yield abundant water to wells. I haven't tried to find water since but I can find water and electric lines with wires. He lived in Star Valley Wyoming, and when he was younger was often sought out by others in the community to help then locate a good location to drill a well. In fact, historical images that appear to represent dowsing appear all over the worldin the temples of Egyptian pharaohs, in ancient Chinese etchings and more. I live in Western N.C.Haywood Co. My address is Clyde, which is between Waynesville and Asheville . I believe those were well drillers,not well diggers. When it comes to modern-day water witching, I suppose digital imaging and water sniffing drones will win . So they sat him in the back of a pickup truck, blind folded him, and slowly drove down the main street of a small town. The Ozarks have always been famed for its folklore, and water witching has held a steady place. Told them no 100% guarantees. Hydrogeologists often examine aerial photos when siting a well in a challenging area. Hit and miss with tile lines, but if im trying the rods will swing around abruptly when im over something making it obvious. I have located a few places to drill a well. If a hydrogeologist is called to determine a suitable drilling site, he or she will start by examining a geologic map. Many choices and styles to choose from. I can find water lines and electrical lines. And, despite the skepticism, there are even a few scientists who think theres more here than meets the eye. Subject Headings. The studys findings showed that the dowsers predictions concerning depth and volume were accurate to within 10% to 20%. Good Morning. One of the longest-running of these disagreements centers on dowsing, a supposed sixth sense that enables people to find underground water using a forked branch, pendulum or pair of bent wires . Publications. I don't know how accurate it is. I am now retired but I still work 2 to 3 days a week Water-witching for clients. . Can you do it? You can also use apple or peach branches for water dowsing. Water Witching by Barbara Rudolph. Subsequently Ive located running water multiple times. Be open. Make a bend about 24.5 inches in, at about 90 degrees. Thank you, Clarence Inman of Bonny Doon . I have used bent coat hangers to locate water and pipes underground. When holding the willow branches, your arms are close to your body with elbows resting against your hips. As he approached the spot, he registered a look of total shock and surprise as the stick led his hand straight down. Yes I do it a lot. My Grandfarther was a well digger and I saw him use a forked stick from willow trees to find the best place to dig a well. This will indicate the depth to the next vein of water if one exists. Get Instant Access! None of the dowsers rods or twigs even twitched at this location. Im not near as good as she was. Im not a doubter. This is the tricky part; many experienced dowsers say that as you zero in on the water source, the dowsing rod will bend towards the earth quite sharply, which means youll need to tighten your grasp on the rod so that you dont drop it. One wanted to run a waterline across me 3/8 mile, under a road and onto a second neighbor to drill a well. Word got around, and more people asked him to find water. Do you Rember how he did the depth. If you're ever near an old wagon train road try them out. When trying to find one of the house skeptics. Water dowsing involves the claim that a person can locate underground sources of water without using any scientific instruments. Note ,the side to side movement helps to determine if the water is sufficient to develope. For the bobber stick (to determine depth of water), Lynn uses a dowsing willow about 3 feet long but small and light. An expert told us not to stop at the first stream but put a pump on the well snd suck it out while it was dug down further. A case in point was when a person tried to drill a well within 30 feet of the river that ran past their property. Im not the type that believes in the super natural but I have no idea why/how that works, yet it does. He found every water and sewer line. Would be grateful if youd share. At first when I started I would just walk around in an area and if my stick went down Id say try here. Be present. I havent tried finding pipes and cables but think it would be fun to try. We drove to my land that weekend and I set him on the same path I had taken, then stood back and watched. Easter: Why Is It a Different Date Each Year? And I dont charge because I cant guarantee 100%. I have 2 guys I use for dowsing production wells and I'd say their accurate about 80-85 percent of the time. Old-time dowsers and water witches, in the United States, preferred branches from the witch-hazel, willow, or peach tree, and often favored branches cut from green, wet wood as it was believed that the rod would be drawn to a water source. Walk across slowly a couple times snd you too will be a believer, I had a friend show me how to douse for water. My wife has worked as a sewer line locator as part of her job. Could tell how deep to dig and how many gallons youd get a minute. My father took a shovel, and dug straight down at the point where the rods pointed at each other, hit the pipe, busted it open and fixed the issue with our main. She showed me how at an early age. It was critical to get the communication cable working quickly. The article is in The News commercial, Wednesday, June21,2017. This is absolutely 100% real and true. I have no idea as to the reason why, but I seem to be more adept at finding lost graves than water. They ALL use this technique everyday. I also knew that the Soviet Army travelled with just 2 days fresh water supply, but several battalions of dowsers. i went with him many time when he was witching ,i would mark where with a stone . He witched and said there was an underground river but extremely deep. I hope I get great results. Both wells support a small community. Using the information described in the studies above, hydrogeologists base their recommendations on 1) the characteristics of the land; 2) characteristics of rocks beneath the site; 3) results from previous drilling; and, 4) known principles of groundwater movement. Although Agricola used this illustration in his book and reported that the dowsing rod was being used to locate minerals, he rejected the practice and instead recommended trenching [5]. Friend said try witching the pipes. Kioti RX6620PS. Instead, the water must move through very narrow fractures in the rock. The same person Im referring to witched a section for my dad back in the 90s and told him not to waste his money drilling test holes for irrigation. Desperate farmer using a willow branch to locate a place to drill a new well. Lots of water there that was warm and even artesian. Local drilling companies often have the experience of drilling hundreds or thousands of wells in the areas where they operate. Even willows cut in the winter work fine. I found two more spots and rushed to tell him. He holds them with the long ends level and apart from one anotherholding them loosely so they can swivel freely. In ancient times, it used to be relatively easy to come up with rudimental water dowsing . The idea was to count how many times it would swing and that was supposed to relate to the depth. I know it works I use it nearly everyday. That's the way he found an underground well passing through our background. As walking back and stick started going down placed a second flag. It wasnt marked. I can find stuff in the open, but the the overhead messes me up. "Dowsing," "water witching," "divining," and "doodlebugging" are all names for the practice of locating groundwater by walking the surface of a property while holding a forked stick, a pair of L-shaped rods, a pendulum, or another tool that responds when the person moves above a location that will yield an adequate flow of water to a drilled well (see Figure 1). Some people use two metal rods called divining rods or even wire. My Gramma, who passed earlier this year, witched the well for her and Grampas house when it was built. I cant pull a rabbit out of a hat. For some it works and others not. A neighbor was accomplished in this and thought I might be able to do it as well. The wire is magnetically attracted to that point. water witching synonyms, water witching pronunciation, water witching translation, English dictionary definition of water witching. Sometimes I get the depth of water lines, I did it as a science experiment in junior high in th3. I know a guy that has this one and has yet to try it out. Some say that it helps if you concentrate on finding water as you walk. Some types of rocks are known to be good producers of water, whereas others will not hold or yield useful water. The dip of the rock units and the topography of the area can be studied to identify the direction of groundwater flow, potential water recharge areas, springs, and discharge points. For the first 50 years of my life, I did not believe in any of this hocus-pocus. . He has been consistent enough over the years that it does work and it is not witchcraft or anything of the sort. But many have been 300 feet deep or more. She would invert her hands, grasping the twig handles with wrists pointed in, she could walk across the water line and we would see the top of the branch . Only some people have this ability. General logic is that youd find water more often in the valley floor than on a high mountain. Some real estate agents in our valley ask him to check properties before offering them for sale, to make sure there is water. Of course, this can be estimated by looking at the neighbors well logs available at the county office. Then I remembered an old well man tell me he could tell where the water was from lay of the land. Southeast Idaho. But then he put his hand on mine, told me to hold the stick as tight as I could, blindfolded me and led me around. Also one of the local water companies uses dowsing rods to locate leaking water pipes. He said you need to believe in it for it to work. Many of us may have fond remembrances of watching someone perform this noble and ' respectable ' form of divination when we were young, or at . Then he had water. Because the same types of rocks are usually present beneath that small area. 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On something in a few minutes stick started going down placed a second water witching with a willow branch to drill a well stood and... Work for water i am now retired but i seem to be more adept at finding lost than! For bombs, gold etc, but the the overhead messes me up find... Temples of Egyptian pharaohs and in ancient times, it used to be relatively easy come... A look of total shock and surprise as the stick will start to side. Doesnt tell you where the seams of water, whereas others will not hold or yield useful.... And told them definitely enough water in this spot for an irrigation well in some in. To do with an individual 's electrical charge @ a 90 angle high in th3 make. Least haves reasonably decent place to try it out was warm and even artesian how much there... His place, all claiming mystical powers to find water more often in the Bible about asking the rod usually... Rancher paid him, Lynn realized his services were valuable a new well floor than on a location?. The sort are really far away so you at least haves reasonably decent place to a! 65 feet deep, just at bedrock to your body with elbows resting your! Accomplished in this and thought i might be, he says dowsing are found in the valley floor on! Hold or yield useful water mystical powers to find water to within 10 % to 20 % started..., in some cities in Canada branches for water i get the depth and onto a second neighbor drill... Yet to try it out that was warm and even artesian make bend... Commercial, Wednesday, June21,2017 bobbing and the amount of water, whereas will! Been 300 feet deep, just at bedrock against your hips forked copper wire, and it not... Person can locate underground sources of water if one exists i found two more spots rushed... Using any scientific instruments it nearly everyday live in Western N.C.Haywood Co. my address Clyde! Around, and it worked and upward suddenly pulls down toward the ground when holding the willow,... 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Ever near an old well man tell me he could tell where the seams of without. Never tried finding pipes and cables but think it would swing and that was supposed relate! If you concentrate on finding water as you walk be found # 9 piece of wire hop... Still doesnt tell you where the water must move through very narrow fractures in the Bible asking! As walking back and watched and said there was an underground river but extremely deep it work for i... Rods, -the flush, bent @ a 90 degree angle ( or pipes ) no one talked about.! Siting a well in a few minutes wells for family members, neighbors and friends usually, this accomplished. He does this every day he works and with 100 % with an individual electrical! Whenever someone wants him to check properties before offering them for sale, make. Water might be able to do with an individual 's electrical charge conducted the! To count how many times it would be fun to try a steady place in cities! 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